


Sweet Creature

by urcringeyparent



Category: Fate/Grand Order, Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms, Fate/stay night (Visual Novel), Fate/stay night - All Media Types, 衛宮さんちの今日のごはん | Emiya-san Chi no Kyou no Gohan | Today's Menu for the Emiya Family (Anime)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Slow Burn, am i gonna be sad by the end of this, basically fate stay night but not as disappointing, focuses more on cu, kinda changed the plot, pleasant life for awhile, reader is kinda cool, reader is kinda weird, soft and edgy cu chulainn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-20
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:34:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 17
Words: 40,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24294433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/urcringeyparent/pseuds/urcringeyparent
Summary: She wasn't meant to be in the war, but she was dragged into it. Will she choose not to go to Japan to fight, or will her summoned servant Cu Chulainn change her mind?:Cu Chulainn x reader:Chapters 1-10:OP: 'Yoru to Wonderland' - Kaori IshiharaED: 'Clouds in the Water' - Solfa and Nagi YanagiChapters 11-?:OP: 'OVERDRIVE' - ASCAED: 'Devil's Whisper' - Kanon Wakeshima
Relationships: Cú Chulainn | Lancer/Reader
Comments: 67
Kudos: 99





	1. 'Death with Dignity' - Sufjan Stevens

The night air was cool, just a slight breeze as you walked down the street. Two of your friends, Al and Tommy, walked behind you, laughing while holding each other as they stumbled slightly. You had just left one of the most popular bars as it had just began get too crowded for eleven at night, and it was obvious that if you didn’t take your friends out of there, they would be too difficult to leave. 

You listened to the things they said to each other, the funny jokes to the sweet nothings you enjoyed hearing them say to one another. It was endearing despite they would never announce publicly they were together; maybe they felt their 20s were too young to tie the knot.

The dark sign of a smaller bar welcomed you and your pink-cheeked friends. Seeing as they weren’t paying attention to more than each other, you took Tommy’s hand, who in turn, pulled Ally along inside the homey bar. The wooden planks squeaked just a little as you led your friends to a seat at the bar. “Two waters and my usual, please.” You spoke with a smile at the bartender, smiling excitedly when you saw the new employee was someone you knew. “Look at that, Poster Boy is now here, in the greatest bar in the world!”

‘Poster Boy’ chuckled, shaking his head. “What’s with that nickname, huh? I thought I’d grow that out and you’d actually go by my name.”

You watched him as he prepared the two waters for your friends, who were sloppy with their words at the bar stools. “You really don’t like a good nickname? That’s what makes you popular, especially as a bartender. Trust me, it works like a charm, Poster Boy.” You pushed your hair out of your face, pretending to pout. “But if you truly do prefer to be called Walter the second, that can also be arranged-“

“Okay, okay, you win!” His green eyes rolled at what you said, though his smile said that he wasn’t angry with you. “Jeez, I thought the French were more civilized.”

You laughed at that, pulling your slipping jean jacket on your shoulder again. “Yes, clearly they’re all little dolls and that’s why I live in America!” Taking the drink from him, you took your first sip, humming in contentment. “Wonderful, absolutely wonderful. You’re going to do very well here, oh yes.” 

Poster Boy ran a hand through his wavy brown hair, though the blonde roots were beginning to show. “Ah, I hope so, (Y/n). I don’t see it too crowded here, especially with that mess down the street.” He said, leaning his elbow on the bar. “Let me guess, you picked up these two from there tonight, didn’t you?”

Looking toward the two that sipped their water like children, you chuckled. “You make it sound like I’m kidnapping them. What do you think my motives are, Walter the second?”

“Just say Poster Boy.” He sighed, making you smile. “I just think you like to know people. Or something….I can’t figure out your ulterior motives, strange little girl. I should actually card you, see if you’re in Interpol.” He flicked your forehead with a snicker.

You waved your hand, taking another sip of your drink. “Hey hey, can’t you just figure out I’m a good person. Besides, I like hearing them speak to each other.”

“That garbage? What, you’re a romantic now? Maybe you really are French. They sound like toddlers trying to perform Romeo and Juliet.” He said as the two of you watched.

“What gave it away, my accent or my passport?” She chuckled. “But if you must know, they remind me of my parents.”

Your bartending friend looked toward you again. “Wow you have parents, too? Tell me more.” He said, though you chuckled and shook your head. “Come on, I learn something about you and you pull away-“

You ignored him, hearing a soft tune play through the building. “Live music tonight and you didn’t tell me?” 

He watched you look toward the corner and sighed. “Yeah, it’s his first show. Picked a small place to start out, though.” He said, looking at the ten patrons in the bar. 

“Not at all.” You spoke up softly, seeing the young man at the keyboard. “This is the perfect beginning for his style.” Leaning your back against the bar, you listened to the man play his song, closing your eyes. The tune was calm, and you could envision the life in France you had lived for so long. Your mother’s meadow she showed you filled with flowers and harmless little snakes and birds. The dirt path your father walked with you to the bus stop when he didn’t want to take the car.

“Not my style, but it is soothing for midnight.” Poster Boy spoke before you noticed your two very drunk friends clapped loudly, cheering for the nervous musician. “And it’s ruined.”

Your eyes watched as they smiled together, cheering proudly for this man they probably didn’t even notice was playing music until he stopped. “It’s time for you to return home, kids.” You said, holding their sweaty hands.

Ally looked at you with a wide, goofy smile before leaning toward you a little too fast for a hug. “Thank you sooo much, (Y/n)!” She said, slurring her words as Tommy called for an Uber for the two. “He’s actually my neighbor, so I’ll make it home!”

Tommy stood up carefully, helping his little lady down from the taller stool. He was quiet, but still gently held onto Ally, making sure she could step correctly. The two were out, and you sighed in relief. “They were cute. They’ll definitely be back here for sure.”

“What makes you say that?” Poster Boy asked with a raised eyebrow. “They didn’t buy anything, just sat here and caused a ruckus.”

You set your drink down again, finished. “Anyone would remember an excellent time they had. They’ll remember how they cheered together at a performance they didn’t know happened, they will remember the Uber ride home together. I’d say that’s an important place, wouldn’t you?”

The bartender looked at you and shook his head. “You’re certainly something else.” He said, taking your card when you handed it to him. “Leaving already?”

Giving him a smile, you stretched your arms. “I have an important arrangement I can’t miss for the world.”

“At nearly one am?”

“Yes, my two am meeting.” You answered, taking your card back from him, taking out some cash as a tip.

A female voice came up to the bar, one you recognized as an acquaintance. “I heard from someone that you have someone in Japan.” Moira asked, her ginger hair bigger and curlier than last you saw her. What she said made you laugh and she frowned, her orange lipstick puffing in annoyance. “Hmm am I wrong?”

Your laugh quieted down, and you gently held her arm. “Look at you, piecing facts together.” She seemed irritated, but you knew her temper was a little rough when it came to you and a few others.

“Wouldn’t that mean I was right?” She asked, appearing to genuinely want to know. Poster Boy was interested as well, leaning on the bar as to not miss something about the mysterious (Y/n).

Checking your phone for the time, you bowed dramatically to your friends. “I must be off now. Good morning to the both of you.” You turned to leave the bar, walking through the night air once again. Your smile faded as your eyes trailed down to the dark red mark on the back of your hand, taunting you as you walked home, your safe place.

The apartment was silent as usual, the golden light of the wall lamps beside your computer desk illuminating what you needed to see. Peeking into the long wall mirror, you made sure your eyeliner was still intact from the night before sitting at your chair. Your heart raced only slightly, unsure what would happen.

His rather large, heavy package addressed to you had only arrived today, and you noticed his hand writing was terrible, clearly he scribbled on it not long ago. Finally the date and time noted on the box was current at 1:55 am, and you were nervous upon what you would find. What would an immature, entitled mage have for you now that he was gone? Did this have to do with the mysterious marking on your hand?

Inside the box held another smaller box, a tapestry, and a letter. The letter was even more poorly scribed on, though you read it anyway.

‘Call me and when answered, say these words out loud.’ You frowned at his lack of English, making you read in Japanese was already irritating you. However, his last request was not something you would not give him. Closing the box gently, you shoved aside, deciding to look through it later.

You opened your discord, clicking on the alias he had used for so long, and sent a video call request. The room was silent as the call was answered immediately. Darkness was all that was there, causing you to eye the letter again, speaking the Japanese words calmly.

Within the darkness, there came forth a blue light, and you blinked, realizing the wind was in your apartment. The call closed itself out as you turned to face the bright blue light in your room, coming from the large package box. What was that bastard doing?!  
Covering your eyes from the bright light, you mentally prepared for whatever would happen. When the light died down, you uncovered your eyes to see the box open, surprisingly nothing new inside of it. “What the hell was that?” You asked yourself, unprepared for this.

“You’re my Master? Ho, aren’t I lucky?” A male’s voice stopped you, and you nervously looked up to see a blue-haired man in matching blue attire. Your eyes did not leave his bright red ones as he crouched down to speak to you as you looked at him with such surprise. You noticed immediately how charming his slight grin was, though you could only stare in awe. 

“Who….are you?” You simply asked, unable to make yourself stand up.

The young man didn’t seem too excited to have to explain himself at first, but he was quick to take your hand. You could only watch as he leaned forward, pressing his forehead to the back of your marked hand.

The scene reminded you of a classical painting, one older and full of a fantastical romance you could only dream of. His voice broke your somewhat embarrassing thoughts as he spoke whilst you were treated like a princess. “I am Cu Chulainn, Child of Light. I have answered your summoning, and have pledged my lance to win you the Holy Grail.”

As his eyes trailed back up to you slowly, you felt his warmth and his gaze upon who you were, a young adult with a way of people. “My…call me (Y/n).”


	2. 'Locket' - Crumb

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This city is extremely based off my own, and the personalities and mannerisms throughout this story of characters unrelated to the Stay Night cast are based around the many people I have met and the places I've visited. I love my city and the people who inhabit it. Also note that I am of legal age, worked at multiple bars, attend parties, seen concerts made up of just one person, and met some of the most interesting people. This is up until the actual events of Stay Night obviously, but I still hope to give New Fuyuki love as well.
> 
> Also note:  
> Thank you to everyone who read the first chapter. Even if you don't read this, I'm grateful, and I hope the rest of the story is captivating for you as well. About almost half (possibly) of this story is written, just saved on a file on my computer. Long stories always make me feel very complete, so I hope you enjoy the next 8 chapters that are ready to be uploaded in the near future. Update times have not been decided, so I will just upload at random times.

The next morning left you waking in bed with a strange sense of feeling. You knew he was around, yet you did not spot him. He had vanished, but you could still feel his presence deep in your heart. Pushing your hair back, you sat up in bed, looking around your room for anything different. 

“You’re awake!” The man from the night before spoke, appearing out of thin air and at your side. “I was beginning to think I should sleep too, since it’s boring sitting around.” You listened to him, eyeing his wide grin, unsure of what to say. You stared at the back of your hand, remembering everything from then. “What’s wrong?” Cu Chulainn asked, seeing you stare at his symbol on your hand.

You did not have the heart or the mind to tell him the previous night. That this was a mistake, that his summoning here was not one you had wanted. “Apologies, Cu Chulainn. I did not summon you, so please do not refer to me as Master.”

That surprised him slightly, making him frown toward you with closed eyes. “You could get out of bed before talking about the link we have.” He said, looking to the side as his hands went to his hips.

Seeing him turn, you sighed. He did deserve a little better, being a hero. “I’m sorry, you’re right. Allow me to get dressed and we can talk it over.”

Again, he pouted before nodding. “Alright, Master- (Y/n).” He corrected himself before stepping out of your room.

~

“Why do you do that to your face?” He asked upon seeing you step into your living room. “It looks pretty, but why?”

You blinked, realizing he meant your makeup. “It’s what many people my age do. It’s for attraction or style, I suppose. Makeup has been around for centuries. A lady should always look her best, you know.”

His red eyes fixed on yours before sitting in the chair across from yours. “Yeah, well you don’t need it, little lady. Anyway...” He trailed off, letting you know he was ready to listen to what you had started to tell him.

The confrontation bothered you for once, different from how you usually could deescalate the situation, or just escape. “I didn’t summon you, Cu Chulainn. I cannot be the Master of someone so great for a motive I do not have.”

After a moment, he took your hand gently and ran his thumb over your command seals. “This proves otherwise. I heard your summon and I answered, am I wrong?” At that moment, he didn’t feel like a spirit. His hand was warm with life, somewhat comforting.  
“You’re right…but these weren’t my command seals to begin with. They were a man named Itsuki’s.” You answered, glaring slightly at the mark as you retracted your hand. 

That seemed to flash something in his eyes, making him furrow his brows. “Is he forcing you to go through this? It’s straight cowardice to force a little lady to do the dirty work of someone capable.” The last sentence made you chuckle. “Hmm? What, this is about a war.”

“He died just last week.” You admitted, leaning back into the couch cushion. “He’s the one who apparently wanted to be in some mage’s war. Too bad I had enough respect for him to actually do as he asked me in his final letter.” You commented, thinking of the letter with the command spell instructions. “Of course he didn’t tell me about any of this...figured the mark would just go away with time.”

“He didn’t tell you what those command seals were, did he?” Watching you shake your head, he crossed his arms, irritated. “It’s still cowardice to throw you into a war. Even if he is dead.” Part of him didn’t want to say it, but then again, the dead didn’t have ears.

You looked out the window, unsure what to say. “I can’t go to this war. There’s nothing that magic can provide that comes without consequence. Not to mention, it’s in Japan, nearly across the globe.”

Cu Chulainn was surprised, but he understood what you meant now at least. “That far? You have no wish to be granted?” He asked, thinking of what to do.

“Of course I do, everyone with a heart does.” You watched him look back to you before you smiled. “It’s something I want to do for myself, not let a simple wish pave the path for me. If I used such a powerful grail, it wouldn’t be much different than asking for a good meal. It’s not worth killing anyone over.”

The lancer listened, interested. “You’re not the power-hungry mage I thought I would be with.” He admitted, though his tone was more grateful than anything. “Do you plan to just skip the war, then?”

Staring at Cu for a moment, you thought it over. “It’s not fair to you to be stuck with someone like me or for you to miss the war you came for.”

“Perhaps you may think it over?” You listened to his proposal, not too surprised. “You don’t have to be seen or do anything, I could still win for the both of us-“

“Wait.” He stopped upon hearing you call out to him. “I’ll consider...but don’t think I wouldn’t do my best to assist you if we did. It’s not your fault I was naïve enough to take on the last wish of an asshole.” 

Was he relieved? He only wanted to fight, show his Master he could win. But she also didn’t show an ounce of interest in the war or mages at all. Was she even a mage to begin with? “Thank you, Master (Y/n).”

The girl sighed, running a hand through her hair. “You don’t have to call me Master, alright? My name is (Y/n)…” She paused as she thought of what she would do now that she had a guest living in her apartment. “Hmm…well if you’re going to be staying here, let’s get you some clothes.”

He peeked down at his suit questioningly. “What’s wrong with this?” He called after you, seeing you move into your room again. The lancer stood up, not seeing any issue.

“It’s too flashy! I think it suits you well, but you need to blend in here. This isn’t historic Ireland, you know.” You commented, bringing out a button up shirt and holding it up to his torso, though pouted when it was obvious it wouldn’t fit. You looked up to his face and chuckled. “You’re going to be way too popular here.” 

Blinking, Lancer tilted his head before pulling it together. “Was that you calling me attractive?” He teased, leaning down slightly toward your face playfully. 

Rolling your eyes, put the shirt away. “In general terms, yes. Don’t take it as flirting, realistically you’re way older than me.” You laughed at his defeated frown, throwing your fanny pack on your side. “Alright old man, let’s get you some things to wear.”

The blue man pouted as you led him to your little red car. He sat in the passenger’s seat, glad you noticed that nobody had seen him. He buckled in, though he looked at every inch of the interior, interested in the moving contraption. “If it’s easiest for you, I can keep myself hidden while you go inside. Then nobody will notice me, but I can still communicate with you.”

You smiled at that as you turned on your phone’s music. “That’s fine by me. I just hope you have a good style after all these centuries.” You told him with a slight grin as you drove forward, onto teaching him about modern life.


	3. 'Best Friend' - Rex Orange County

“What exactly does ‘going out’ mean? Isn’t it past your bedtime?” He teased you with the last part, knowing you didn’t mind. The lancer was curious as to why you were going over your makeup again and wearing something different, something more, an adjective he couldn’t come up with. Loose, perhaps? Back in his day, women definitely covered themselves up more, though he couldn’t complain being able to easily sneak a peek on occasion. 

You turned to him once part of your hair was done being thrown into a messy top bun, ignoring his silly question. “What did you do for fun during the night time?” The question surprised him slightly, but he thought about it anyway while he stared at you from the couch in the next room. 

“I guess if it was a night for fun, I guess we’d drink until we passed out. Did something stupid, too.” He then sat up quickly. “You’re not doing anything like that, are you?” 

You finished your light lipstick before turning back to him. “Hmm, what if I was? Minus the stupid part.” You watched as he closed in on you, crouched down to talk to you as you were sitting at your vanity, his face only inches away from your own. “Is it because I’m a girl?”

The question almost tricked him, oh yes. “No!” He said quickly as he looked over your pretty face. “You’re just…leaving me alone here, the least you could do is show me around, too.” So clever he was, using guilt to get to you.

It worked, of course, and you sighed, looking at the famous Servant before you beg to take him with you like a puppy. “You win, but nobody I know here is a mage, alright? Also, do try to refrain from speaking personally about us.”

“I can’t even say much about you, I’m the one in history books.” He admitted, a little frustrated at the fact even. You in turn chuckled and he pouted as he tried to figure out where they’d go at nine in the evening. He had already been dressed in his dark blue button up (small orange fish were lined across the chest), and he remembered very well the compliment you paid him that made the blue lancer happy. He truly did have it made with this Master.

Cu followed you outside, taking note of the quiet air and passing dog walkers. “I’m sorry in advance for any of my friends we see. Anything could happen in this city, and we could meet anyone new or old.”

The Irish lancer didn’t exactly understand, but he nodded. “I’ll try to keep up, and if you are to need me, tell me immediately.” You took note of his rather serious tone and agreed easily. “I can’t wait to try modern alcohol! And a pretty young lady like you with me? Quite a lucky situation I’ve come to.” 

His outburst made you laugh, not caring about his casual flirt; you were used to it. It also made you curious how he was when he was drunk. Or if he could even make it there. “I’ll take you on sometime.”

“Ah?” The blue haired man blinked before laughing, holding onto your shoulder for support. “You think you can beat an old Irishman? You’re so cute, Master, so, so, cute innocent (Y/n).”

“Saying that before you even taste American liquor? It’s not the same as Irish whiskey, Cu.” He noticed your nickname for him and you chuckled. “You will be referred to as Cu while we meet people here. Is that alright?” 

He thought about his new alias, but didn’t mind as they were continents away from any Holy Grail War. Not that it has started yet, anyway. He should probably be offended that it basically meant ‘hound,’ but he was sure you didn’t know. “Yes, that’s probably much easier for you, too.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Snickering, he continued to follow you down the road and a couple turns. “You’re French! You have an accent, so you can’t pronounce it correctly!” Once again, you blinked at what he said before rolling your eyes with a smile.

“My accent is very light, you have one too! But alas, I was not born in France.” You said excitedly, making the lancer blink. “Sorry to burst your bubble, Irishman.”

“Hah? What do you mean by that? Where are you from, hmm?” He asked, though seeing you chuckle to yourself, he continued to ask you until you stopped at a building in the middle of a block which seemed to be part of a shopping district. “Here?”

He saw your eyes peek back at him once again. “You’ll see why I didn’t pick somewhere flashy tonight. Come on, it’s still a bar.” Hearing that, he followed you inside, seeing only around twenty people in the building. Few people looked their way, some staring at him while following you to the counter to the side.

He peeked at you by the counter, snickering slightly at how the tall bar made you look like a child, your shoulders just above the countertop. “Mademoiselle barman!” You called, seeing the familiar bartender’s back. “Bonsoir ma belle amie!” 

Cu noticed some of the patron males look toward you, causing him to step up beside you. Their looks toward him didn’t look too thrilled, but there was possibly one or even two that looked at him with interest. His red eyes moved toward the girl working the bar, her brown hair short and as messy as the freckles on her slightly plump face. “Look who showed up tonight.” Her hazel eyes switched to the lancer beside you and raised a short brow in interest. “And with a man? When was the last time you brought one of those around here? Or anywhere?” 

You gave her your biggest smile, poking her nose. “You say it like I date around, my sweet angel.” She rolled her eyes at the name you called her and leaned across the counter. “I’m showing my excellent friend here the town. This is my little lamb’s first bar, can you imagine?” Your Servant pouted slightly at being called something as small as a ‘lamb.’

“She’s obviously not going to introduce us.” She held out her hand to Cu with a grin. “They call me Zetty.” 

After a second, he smiled back at her widely, taking her hand. “They….call me Cu.” He said, not feeling so weird about his name anymore. After all, what kind of name was Zetty? 

“Firm handshake, you’ll fit in real nice here. Might want to keep a leash on him if you don’t want one of these vipers getting him.” Cu looked to you, not quite sure what she meant...but awkward considering he was basically considered a guard dog. “Here for the show?”

You nodded before reaching to hold her hand. “That’s right, my darling, and to drink and drink until I can’t speak a lick of English anymore! At least for my dear friend here, he believes I cannot drink so much.”

The lancer beside you wondered why you were the one to apologize on behalf of your friends when you were obviously the strange one. Zetty noticed that look and chuckled. “This is an act she does, don’t worry. It’s a big joke on how we met, laughing at a cheesy poem read out loud on poetry night forever ago. She also uses it to get me out of shitty customers asking for my number.”

“Oh I see, it’s an act!” He said, finally understanding, which in turn made the two girls chuckle at him. Seeing this, he somewhat pouted, looking to the counter awkwardly. “Hmph, maybe speak in French to me if you’re going to be mean.” At least it wouldn’t sound as harsh with your pretty accent.

Your eyes trailed from him to her again. “Get a shot of your best whiskey. He has yet to get a good taste of modern liquor. And a wonderful Zetty rum concoction, please, my sweet.”

“Your wish is my command, my darling.” She called out before turning to get the drinks. Your eyes looked toward your Servant, who wasn’t sure what to say with all the strange names and lingo. How could he even start a conversation when names were now as odd as Zetty?

“Cu,” You called, gaining his attention quickly. “You look troubled, tell me what ails you.”

Taking a deep breath, he looked around at the people near your age before looking down at you. “Maybe I am too old for this generation, I can’t quite keep up.”

Surprised, you fixed the collar of your sleeveless turtleneck top. “I’m sorry, I dove right in. I’m not used to bringing company around, like Zetty said. And not everyone has strange names, it’s just a city where the young can be whoever they want while they’re young and legal adults. Her name is actually Elizabeth, but her name was much more interesting short.”

Lancer didn’t want to make you apologize for not being able to teach him quick enough. He also wanted to learn about the culture of today and not be caged inside all day, waiting to fight. In the end, this wasn’t so bad, and he knew it. “It’s not your fault you live in this place. Though I can’t imagine you adopted your personality or vocabulary from your parents.”

Chuckling at his words, you shrugged. “I sort of did. They were very old fashioned romantics. And the two people I look up to most in this world.” Upon seeing the glasses set in front of you, you smiled at your friend before she turned to deal with her less disruptive customers. “Here, this is a shot of straight whiskey. Maybe I’ll get you hooked on vodka like me. Fruity vodka is real in our day, and it’s the greatest.” You claimed, kissing your fingers for emphasis.

“Hmm, just that much is what you take of alcohol?” The question made you laugh while he examined the small glass. “This better be good, it looks like thick brown water.”

“Take it all at once, you’ll feel it.” You chuckled, taking a seat at the tall barstool. He stared at the glass for another moment before doing as you said. 

Closing his eyes, he shook his head with slight surprise. “That is quite strong...what IS this?” He asked, staring in bewilderment. “What an experience!” 

Cu’s excitement made you smile and you pushed your cup toward him. “Give this a try, it’s what Zetty makes me usually.”

He sniffed it before taking a sip through the straw, gasping at the flavor. “This has liquor in it?” He asked, amazed. “There’s a fruity taste, but it’s still a little bitter!”

“I like a double shot in mine, the ice waters down the rum.” You announced before setting the glass down. “But hey, take a shot with me!” 

Looking toward you, he blinked. “You want to?”

You nodded at his question. “It’s a symbol of friendship to take one together. Quite actually the first thing I learned in America.” Waving your hand, you nodded to your friend, who brought the round. Holding up your glass, you looked toward him. “This is for our meeting, and our newborn friendship.”

Grinning, he picked his own up, gently tapping yours with it and taking the drink quickly. He laughed as your shoulders gently shook from the sudden strong intake. “And you think you can outdrink me? That’s real cute.” 

You chuckled again before getting him a special drink, feeling sort of special for once. It had been so long since you treated a man like that, but you weren’t complaining now. Moving on, you gently poked his arm, motioning toward the other side of the bar, to the stage. “This is why I wanted to come here tonight. This is Riley’s first show, Zetty’s brother.”

“Hmm, a band? I’ve been interested in a modern concert.” You noticed him look at the stage, completely interested in the instruments and the people who would be playing them. “I’m starting to think everyone in this timeline doesn’t age past 30.”

Laughing, you took a sip again. “I told you this was a young city. Venture miles away, and you’ll find all the old people who grew away from our generation. We’re kind of a menace to them at this age, so they flee toward the other side.” Shimmying off the tall stool, you tugged his arm, pulling him closer to the stage. “I’ve heard them practice once, and my, do they have a unique sound.”

Cu understood what you meant, though it was still strange how you kept a close vicinity to these places that were supposedly meant for you. “This century is amazing…” He commented, not wanting to forget the fun way of life. Honestly, this kind of made him forget about the war, even for only a moment at a time. Though was that best for him? He didn’t want to ruin his hero status, but did it matter now that his Master was forced into the situation?

He turned off his thoughts upon seeing the young man sit at the keyboard, though he wasn’t sure what even a piano was. A few other friends of the man’s came up with a guitar and what seemed to be a trumpet. Cu made himself comfortable leaning against the column beside you. After a brief nod from the musician, his voice started smoothly as he tapped on the keyboard, somewhat surprising the ancient demigod with the tone.

The song was smooth, definitely something he could just listen to with his eyes closed. Though his red eyes looked downward to your smiling face. He could see obviously that you enjoyed what you heard, and he wondered if you truly did this all the time or just some nights. Maybe in his slightly younger years, he could grow into this century. 

His thoughts stopped when the song picked up, the drums and trumpets taking control of the song behind sweet lyrics. Smiling slightly to himself, he didn’t feel as awkward standing there with you. Admittedly, he wished he could have lived in this time of peace, where people weren’t afraid and dictators or demons didn’t run the world.

The song was over faster than he liked, but he turned to you again when he peeked up at him with curious eyes. “Was it something you enjoyed? He’ll be up there for a little while anyway, but I do value your opinion.”

“It was nice.” He said rather plainly, unsure how to come out with what he felt inside. There was just so much he felt, though it was stronger than what he thought, however, it’s not something he could so openly say to his easy-going Master. 

Hearing that, you tilted her head before nodding. “Well put.” You said quietly, clapping gently to the band’s performance. “It’s certainly different from your time in every way possible.”

“Yes, though I’ll admit the alcohol you possess now is definitely a winner.” He admitted, taking a sip of his drink. He didn’t quite know what a ‘girly drink’ was, but he loved it nonetheless.

“I told you!” You said excitedly. “I absolutely warned you of the wonderful time you’d have. The night is still young, too.”

He took the moment to ask, “Is this usual for you? Come out to see music late at night? Drink and make friends that you barely see?” The way he worded wasn’t the intention, but it was what he was curious about.

His question didn’t bother you, but you nodded with a chuckle. “That’s right. It’s the way people our age are supposed to spend our youth, don’t you agree? Perhaps it was a different time, but it’s also what you did in life.”

“Hmm? You say that as if you know for sure.” He commented, raising a blue brow curiously.

“You could say that I’ve seen it.” The lancer tried to understand what you meant, though when he couldn’t, you continued. “Being a ‘Master’ has given me snippets of your lifetime in my dreams.”

The young man’s eyes looked over you in slight surprise. Before he could feel embarrassed, however, he turned it around with a smug grin. “Is my Master (Y/n) dreaming of me at night?” He leaned down toward your face, grinning as if he’d won something.  
Patting his cheek gently, you gave him a soft smile, amused he came to that conclusion. “Our hearts are linked as of now, Cu Chulainn.” Your finger pointed to his chest, your eyes meeting his red ones. “What you feel resonates stronger inside me than yourself through our bond. Might I add, you have a very strong heart, Child of Light.”

Just as easily as you spoke, you turned back to listen to the band play, leaving the blue haired man quiet as he processed what you said. His almost royal way of speaking to women seemed to vanish the moment your eyes had met his. He should be embarrassed to let an unusual girl from today’s age show him up, yet also he didn’t mind how open you were, the wise words you chose. 

You shrouded in your own mystery, not even letting him, the one who now lives in your quiet apartment, into your personal life. He was along for the ride, though you did not force him. Now that you were experiencing his life in your dreams, he could not hide or use his life story to bribe you for your own. 

How frustrating.

“Do you want to move on?” You asked him softly, making him look down toward you again. “More lively settings await us.”

The only thing he could do was spend more time, understanding your movements and speech with certain people. Seeing as you were ready to go, he simply nodded. “If you are, I will follow, (Y/n).”


	4. 'Somewhere Only We Know' - Keane

“Cu Chulainn.” You spoke up from your spot at the short windowsill, staring at the trees ahead. For being a city, you had seemed to live on the side with actual trees, telling him how not far from you was the start of the tall business buildings of the city. 

Strange layout.

He himself was on the other side of the room, learning what your record player did. You were just glad that he wasn’t lazy and watched your tv all day. “Yes, (Y/n)?” 

You smiled toward him as he stared at your vinyl’s covers. “Want to go somewhere fun? I finished my work earlier than usual, so we can go out.”

His red eyes searched to look at you, interested in what you were thinking. “Fun? It’s not dark yet, where did you want to go?” 

Chuckling at his note of the time, you stood up. “The art museum, a special exhibit is about to end and I didn’t want to miss it. Apologies if it will bore you.”

He supposed he could go out. He wasn’t sure if you’d even come back afterward, your schedule seemed to be sporadic. “I’ll come along.” Though he agreed, he thought of what could be going on with the war without him present. He could sense only one other Servant had been summoned, Cu being the very first, so he supposed there was no rush to get to Japan. 

If you decided to go.

For now, he would be a good hound, following you while you taught him new tricks. He was dressed in one of the outfits you gave him, a black t-shirt under a blue embroidered jacket and his black jeans. You on the other hand, had a puffed-sleeve floral shirt tucked into a light pink skirt. Your short heeled boots made sound with every step you took, much lighter than the clunk of his own boots. It gave you a more feminine appeal, a thought that reminded him that you were someone who would have a love someday, eventually marriage and grow old, so on and so forth.

Who would fill that role? You would have to let them into your world, and you seemed already incapable of doing that with anyone. No matter how beautiful you were, your mystery would continue to turn people away after a while.

Cu was interested again in your car, something you seemed to use only every few days. Must be far, and you didn’t seem like someone who would take the bus. After only several minutes of a quiet drive, you parked the car in a large cement parking lot. “I usually come here every couple of weeks.” You informed him, seeing his gaze linger every which way. “They’re ending the exhibit earlier than usual, though, and since you came, I had put it on hold.”

“Something special is here, you said? So they only have certain pieces for limited times?” He asked as you passed the clerk your pass, which included a plus one. “I guess that makes sense.”

You chuckled at that. “That’s right, this week is a big natural exhibit, featuring artists that focused on meadows and flowers.” You told him, leading the way.

Every place you took him made him more interested in how you lived your life. He felt no different than the people you called ‘friends,’ who might be lucky enough to even know your last name. The building was beautiful from it's large windowed ceiling to the glass bridge that was connected the left and right wings on the second floor, with more strange rooms than he imagined based on the open window-walled lobby. Architecture in this new age was also incredibly different, he noticed.

You took a deep breath as you stepped through the entrance of this exhibit, turning to him to make sure he wasn’t distracted by the many things he passed. “Here we are.” You called, taking his hand gently to pull him where to begin first in the maze of a museum.

He stared at your command seals as you took his hand, and thought none more of it when you let go to look at the many paintings. Cu followed suit, though he only looked briefly before seeing the plaques surrounding the paintings. “It’s strange seeing the year on these.”

“So much happened since you were alive, Cu. I’m only sorry you were not reincarnated to see it happen.” You answered as you seemed to look at certain paintings longer than others. You hadn't seemed like a plant person, living in the city, but it was pleasant to the eye for sure.

“You believe in reincarnation?” He asked, interested in what you said. “If you were once someone in the past, I wouldn’t know who kept as many secrets as you.”

Guilt was just barely felt in his heart, though he realized it was not his own feeling. Red eyes met yours, though they focused on a rather large painting. “It’s difficult to tell people anything. There’s so much I cannot reveal about myself due to my heritage. In the end, I would rather hide everything than just avoid certain parts.”

“Like being a mage?”

You nodded. “Yes. Like I said before, I’m French, but not from France...but that is just what my heart says. It lies to me so I can believe in what I want.” 

He sighed to himself, trying to figure out what you meant. He never had regrets about anything and was proud of it...but he wasn't sure if you felt the same, considering you seemed happy with how things were currently. “Are you actually going to tell me more about that, or just bring it up?” 

Smiling a little bit, you continued moving forward into the next long room. “Mages are the worst kind of people, you know.” You told him softly, stopping in front of a painting of a baby deer. “Mages focus on one child only, and cast off the other. A rotten rule that is more old fashioned than I would ever want to seem.”

“So you were thrown out of the family...” He trailed off, his eyes drifting to the side, feeling awkward for bringing it up. 

The smile returned to your face as you motioned to the corner of the painting, the parents and sibling of the center baby deer just blobs of paint from how far they were. “I don’t care, though. Because of them, my true parents raised me better than I ever could ask. I don’t have room in my heart to bear a hatred toward the ones who cut the umbilical cord and left.”

It surprised him a little bit to hear it, but he felt somewhat relieved to hear it. The lancer was also glad to know probably more information about you now than anyone you ‘knew.’ “You know magic still?”

“Yes, Itsuki was the one to teach me.” He paused, hearing the name of his would-be Master, though continued to listen. “I’d truly feel awful for you if he were your Master. He wasn’t evil...but he was an asshole at the very least.” 

He remained quiet as he followed you, no longer interested in art. His eyes focused on your movements, and it eventually became more obvious that you were looking for something specific. He thought over your story, unsure how he felt toward your abandonment. You seemed so happy with where you were, and you loved your current parents. Perhaps he would keep to himself about it, since you were fine.

A sudden wave of burning found its way into his heart, spreading through his throat, and he wasn’t sure if it would force tears to run down his face or not. He hadn’t felt so strongly in so long.

Bitter sadness.

Across the room, he saw you standing still in front of a large painting, almost taking the entire wall. Within seconds, he was at your side, slowly reaching out to take your shoulders, though his fingers ghosted you, unsure if you would accept his comfort.

Your eyes were wide and tears had pricked them, threatening to spill. He didn’t expect this, and he looked at the painting, unsure what had caused such sadness to overcome you so rapidly. Seeing your face once again, he took your shoulder gently and pulled you in, letting your side lean into him. He was silent through the quiet sob you let out, let the few tears you allowed spill before you straightened yourself out. “Je suis désolé.” You whispered, trying to wipe your face gently. “That wasn’t supposed to happen.”

His hand had not left your shoulder, even then. The sorrow in his own heart was starting to die down, but it was still a heavy rock that filled his chest. No question of ‘are you okay’ could provide much help, and you wouldn’t want to leave. “Is this what you were looking for?”

Nodding, you slowly approached the wall, your shaking hand touching the plaque. “My mother finished painting this just after she and my father adopted me when I was a baby.”

Looking at the huge painting, Cu thought of what this painting saw through the years this was painted. How your parents lived in France, and how they one day brought a baby girl home. This was important to you, it made you cry at the mere sight of it, though it was nothing more than a beautiful cottage with vines growing up the windows. 

Certainly, it was one of the most beautiful things he had seen. 

“Let’s go,” You said, leaving the unseen paintings behind. 

Letting you lead the way, he stopped for a moment to see your mother’s name on the plaque. His heart grew soft, however, as he read.

‘Our little dollhouse.’

She had only been dead for a year.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was rather short, but I preferred it this way instead of combining it with the next chapter, which is also rather short. Once again, this art building is based off a museum I had visited a while back combined with elements I find architecturally beautiful. We are also coming closer to the events of Stay Night, so please continue to read as I update on occasion. I don't have a set schedule, but I do have the next several chapters ready to be posted in the upcoming weeks.
> 
> As always, thank you for reading;


	5. 'Bloom' - The Paper Kites

The sadness in his heart from your bond did not disappear when you drove him to your next place of interest. It did not leave you even as you gave him a small smile, telling him how this next place will make him happy.

It was hard to be happy when your feelings of loss overcame even him.

Once out of the car, he looked at your hand as you walked through the gate. The lancer did not care where they were going, even if it was supposedly for him. Finally, he gently took your hand, making you stop in the middle of the path to look at him.

His red eyes looked into yours, finding the sadness mixed with confusion. You had played yourself off as cool while you were around those other people, though he was now by your side. The Child of Light would not be cast aside by you, your feelings were mashed with his by your bond, which seemed to grow stronger as he spent time with you.

You were letting him in slowly, even if you didn’t realize it.

As if you knew what he was trying to say with the worried look in his pretty eyes, you stepped toward him and gave him a real hug, arms around him as if he would rid of all your pain. While you did not let your sadness or anger control you, it bottled up until you were unable to keep it from spilling.

His arms felt safe as they held you, your eyes closing to keep your thoughts in the moment. Cu let you stay like that as long as you needed, though after a minute, you slowly released him. Your eyes met his once again and gave him a small smile. “Thank you.”  
Somewhat embarrassed by his soft gesture, he ran a hand through his loose hair, brows furrowing slightly as pink barely dusted his cheeks. “Y-yeah, anytime.” He looked toward you once again, surprised when he felt you squeeze his hand and lead you to where you wanted to go.

The burning had soothed inside him, and his senses weren’t clouded any longer. The scenery around him was now visible, and it was more real than the paintings he had just seen twenty minutes ago.

Passing the gardens, he was interested in the stone stairs you led him down. You seemed excited, though, and that’s all he cared about. “This isn’t well known by the other visitors, it’s too hidden.” You told him, though it was soon obvious why. The stone steps stop and it’s straight dirt from here, almost dangerous with how steep the hill is beside the narrow path. 

You continued, though his grip tightened on you as you led him toward the base of the hill. There were a couple moments where you had just barely caught himself, making him worry. Eventually, however, you had led him all the way down before looking out to the river.

“It’s no ocean, but it’s still nice out today.” You commented as he stared out at the river that spread so far out. He saw a bridge not far and blinked, walking out onto the rocks toward the center of the river.

As he did so, you took off your tote bag, spreading your towel onto one of the rocks, watching him look around. This made you smile, reminding you of your dreams, the blue haired man fishing for hours on end. Reaching down to pick up a long stick that was trapped between two rocks, your new friend approached you with interest. 

Several bright pink lines spread down your arms, stopping at your hands as you held one side of the stick in your fist. Your other fist slowly moved toward the other end, the stick becoming a metallic material, all the way up until your fingers held the new tip. Then, touching the tip of the pole, you rubbed your two fingers together, letting the new hook and string drop.

Cu watched, amazed, as you rolled most of the string with your fingers, making a casting line before kissing her fingers. “Magnifique!” You called out before looking up to him. “A gift for my new friend.”

The lancer wondered if you had truly planned to take him here, or if you just didn’t want to go home. Nonetheless, his red eyes sparkled at the fishing pole, taking it from you and examining it. “So this is the power of magic!” He exclaimed, eyeing it with great impression. “You’re amazing! Thank you!” 

His cries of thanks made you smile, and you shooed him away jokingly, telling him to try it out. Taking your phone out, you read through the few texts, mostly asking where you would be that night or tomorrow night. Upon seeing the lancer calmly waiting for a bite on his new pole, you ignored the messages, going to your camera. He was photogenic, as if he was meant to be on camera, even if he didn’t look your way.

Smiling to yourself, you thought of him. He was so kind to you, so eager to learn about you and the current time. The perfect person to be stuck with, someone you could actually use magic around. The circuits of magic flowing through your body also feel so much stronger now that he was here, despite you being his mana piggy bank. Eyes closing, you thought of what a life you currently lived. Happy.

“Look, I caught one!” Cu Chulainn, the Child of Light, called excitedly. As a toddler would, he hopped over, showing you his fish, grinning proudly. 

Blinking, you smiled as you took out your small bag, pulling out a polaroid camera. The lancer tilted his head as you held the chunky camera. “Hold it up and smile!” 

Doing as you asked, he gasped when a click was heard and a piece of plastic came out. “What is that? A camera?”

“Yes, it’s an automatic one. See, it’ll slowly start to show.” You explained, holding the developing photo out to him.

Upon seeing his face with the fish, his red eyes sparkled in astonishment. “Wow, what an invention!” You chuckled at how childlike he seemed to be. “Now I wish I had something like this back then.”

“We can always take more, you know.” You offered, though he sighed, making you look to him in confusion.

Throwing the fish back into the river, the Lancer crouched down to you. “After the war is over, I go back to the Throne of Heroes.” Hearing this, you waved.

“I’m sorry, that wasn’t good of me to say in the first place. I had forgotten for a moment why you were here.” He was quiet now, wondering if you were still considering going to fight. Even if he didn’t have a wish, he wasn’t so sure if he wanted to go anymore, either. Life here seemed much more enjoyable, something the Throne of Heroes didn’t have. His lance may have been begging for a fight, but there were more opportunities, right? “Just go on and catch some more, I’ll hang out here.”

Honestly he didn’t want to guilt you in the slightest. He didn’t want to get too invested, especially with someone like you. He was growing soft, and only part of him liked it. Quietly, he went back to fishing on his own rock, noticing you pull out your book.

This era was difficult.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hadn't planned for such a long wait time, especially for a rather short chapter. As my writing of this story slowly comes to an end, I feel very content. I have known myself to start a fictional story with no end, only ideas until I give up entirely on it before publishing even a prologue. Though the long chapters ahead haven't ended this story, I am happy to say that I've enjoyed every moment of this sweet and sour piece. I wouldn't change much, as this was heavily planned, though I only wish it continues to keep readers interested without straying from the actual story of Fate/Stay Night. Soon, another chapter shall be posted, hopefully the wait will not be as harsh. Again, a short chapter, though the next will be more fruitful.
> 
> Stay beautiful.


	6. 'She' - Dodie

“You didn’t want to go out tonight?” Cu asked as you plopped onto the fluffy comforter of your bed. He had known you to go out pretty much every night since he came here, so it was odd tonight was an exception.

Looking back at him, you shook your head. “If I had a few too many drinks tonight, I would talk about my feelings.” Flipping onto your back, you continued. “Nobody wants that.”

He remembered your tears from earlier and sighed, agreeing with what conclusion you came too. It was probably best to stay home tonight. He couldn’t imagine you crying while taking a shot, it didn’t suit you. The people who would offer you comfort didn’t seem to settle well with him, either.

Sitting up, you eyed the record player he looked through earlier. Standing up, you chuckled a bit to yourself. “Do you want some wine?” 

Furrowing his brows, he sat up straight on the couch as he looked at you. “What happened to ‘I’m not drinking tonight?’ Or is wine a normal drink to you?”

“Is that a no?” You asked, passing him and pulling out your current favorite bottle. “I have regular liquor if you want it instead.”

Scoffing, he grinned before saying, “I’ll take liquor.” 

Returning moments later with a hefty glass of red wine and a liquor bottle, you set his own small glass down before sitting beside him on the couch. “I’m glad you’re you.”

Cu blinked at that, not exactly sure what you meant by that. “I’m the best?” He ended up asking it instead of confidently boasting, but you still nodded at him. “What?”

“I’m glad that you’re you. Imagine a Servant being with me that has his nose higher than the sky. Or one with little taste.” You admitted, glad you had him and none else. “Not that you don’t have a little cockiness to you.”

He laughed at that, knowing you were correct. “I’m grateful that you aren’t cruel and dishonorable.” His red eyes met yours as you started your wine. He wondered when he could ask you about your mother, though it wasn’t really any of his business to ask of you, his Master.

“Want to try some of this?” You asked, motioning to the full wine glass in your fingers. Passing him the glass, he noticed how unafraid of germs you were, though he didn’t matter with the time he lived in. Laughter erupted from you when his face showed distaste as he gave it back. “I hate it, too.”

What you had said confused him. “Then why buy it and drink it?” He asked, eyeing how much you poured yourself.

Taking another sip, you smiled, your lipstick still intact on your pretty lips. “I got used to it, I guess. I’m French!” You laughed at his unimpressed expression. “I jest!” 

“Hah? You jest?”

Shaking your head, you giggled to yourself, taking yet another sip of shitty red wine. “Yes we drank a lot of this type of wine, but it was a family tradition once a week to have a small glass of a different bottle and just talk. When I started living here, we talked over the phone at the same time and shared a glass of the same type of wine.”

“And you’ve continued to do it every time.” He said more to himself. 

You nodded, taking a sip. “It’s been difficult since they’ve been gone. I’ve never had a visitor here, and didn’t plan on it.”

“But you’ve still been doing this on your own?” You answered with a small smile, making him take a sip of his own drink, pouring more. “You were here when it happened?”

Taking a deep breath, you nodded. “I hadn’t visited in awhile due to my own work I had started here. I had received a call from my father late at night, and my mother...had died in her sleep. My parents were quite older, wanting a baby twenty-something years ago I guess to love another being. My mother was 76 years old...and when my father did not answer the phone for our weekly talk...” A shaky breath was heard from you as your eyes grew red. “I received a call the next day from the family doctor. A heart condition, she said.”

Cu Chulainn remained quiet as you spoke, watching you take another sip to distract yourself from your hurt. Once more wine was in your system, you sighed. “I know he died of a broken heart. A b-broken heart that lost the one he loved the most for so long. His old heart could not last without his loving wife, who danced with him in the moonlight, brought her home flowers every time he went to town, t-treated her like a princess, even when they were o-old....”

A tear ran down his own face before yours, the burning in his throat too strong to stop. It was as if he were there, his own parents so loving toward each other while also giving him affection and love. Then it’s gone. 

Red eyes widened as the room’s light flickered, a shadow beginning to form from your own, bigger and maybe even sinister judging from your intense emotional state.

“(Y/n).” He called out, trying to get your attention. “Master!” He called out, taking your hand. Your tired eyes gazing now toward his hand holding your own before you allowed your hand to glow pink through your magic circuits. Slowly, your hand slipped from his, shakily placing it over your heart. After a slight jump, the lights went back to normal, the shadow behind you shrinking until it was gone. “What the hell was that?!” 

Standing up, you took another sip of wine. The record player was switched on, playing a classical piece. He watched you as you stared at it in between sips of wine. “I let my emotions run too freely.” 

He wondered what power that was, if it started to form some sort of monster. “It’s...normal to feel grief.”

Shaking your head, you turned to him. “When I saw her painting earlier, I took in the mana she and Papa stored inside. That’s how my magic circuits work, I guess.” Tearing your eyes from the record to him, you leaned against the wall. “I store mana inside myself, but if I overdo it, things like this happen.”

“Overdo it? What is this mana for?” He asked, not having needed pretty much any of it since coming to you. “It’s obviously dangerous enough that you can’t handle it!”

Even if you knew he just worried, his scolding did nothing to you. “It’s an emergency fund, you could say. I don’t need magic for everything, unlike regular spoiled mages; it doesn’t help that Itsuki did not teach me how to control it. If my emotions alone become too strong, something similar to that happens. It’s probably the reason you feel my emotions before you realize it comes from me.”

Cu’s eyes didn’t leave yours as you came back to the couch beside him, drinking the wine you hated. “Is...that why you aren’t close with anyone?”

The smallest smile appeared on your face as you nodded. “Yes. If I keep to myself, I will keep my mana bottled up until it caps again. I hold a terrible amount; quite amazing how I can even be alive with how much I could unleash at any moment.”

“Doesn’t it keep you from living a normal life here?” He asked, deciding not to care if your cheeks were heating up from the alcohol in your wine. “Don’t you want relationships with real people?”  
The questions made you look him in the eye. “I’d rather die a mystery than die of a broken heart. It would be like I just disappeared, instead of feeling so lost that I shut down without someone I spent so much time in love with. Friends, too.”

“But you want friends. That’s why you go out, meet people, put yourself in their life-”

“No.” You interrupted suddenly, pouring more wine. “I do want friends, that’s true. I am not in their life, though. I’m a passerby, nothing more. I don’t have important dates with them. Their life will move on eventually without a memory of me.”

He remained quiet, knowing you wouldn’t understand what he would say. He didn’t think you would be so stubborn, but at least you weren’t so carefree like he thought. You did have something else inside of you, even if it wasn’t directed at who he thought it would be. “If that’s how you want to live your life, then I cannot stop it.” 

You remembered what he told you before, how he would leave once this war was over. Even if he never fought, he’d still disappear just as fast as he showed up. “I’m sorry I’m a difficult and talentless Master.”

Difficult, yes. Talentless, perhaps not quite.

“You at least know who you are.” He said, looking toward you. “I’m glad you told me.” It explained why he felt your emotions much stronger than his own. You held so much, perfect for an animalistic fighter like himself...though would he need it?

“I’ll admit, it was nice to actually talk about it.” You said, setting your empty glass on the table. “I didn't mean to ruin your night, I should be going to bed.” 

“Is sleep really that nice? I can’t remember.” He admitted, resting his cheek in his hand. He could tell you were tired, especially with everything you had experienced today.  
You stood up and nodded. “Definitely recommended.” 

Seeing you stand there taking your hair out of the buns you had, he noticed how messy your hair now was and gave you a goofy smile. “Would you mind if I tried it?” He asked, poking out his bottom lip to you.

Running a hand through your messy hair, you sighed. “Alright. Let me get ready for bed.” 

You did not deny him, despite knowing he was asking to sleep in your bed with you. His red eyes flashed for a second, almost unable to believe his own ears. You disappeared behind your door for only a moment before opening your door again. Stepping inside as if he’s never been in your room before, he looked to you at your vanity, finishing the removal of your makeup.

Under it, you were still beautiful, a treasure he was brought to. He was rather surprised to see you in a white nightgown, but then again...you were old fashioned as you called it. He would remember later to ask about the markings on your shoulder. They made him wonder how he could have missed something so vital about you.

However, even with your hair down and your nightgown loose, you looked like an angel in the dim light. How did you not feel awkward with him here when you never had guests?  
You pushed your bed’s blanket aside, slipping in comfortably before patting the spot beside you. “You can take this side here.”

How extraordinarily lucky he was. Of course, he wasn’t advancing on you as of now, but there was still a level of intimacy in play. “Thanks.” He said quietly, slipping in beside you, trying not to be too close, as you may take back what you had offered. He couldn’t allow himself to forget he was still your Servant.

“You can get comfortable. As long as you aren’t naked, of course.” You added the last part fairly quickly as you laid back and stared at the ceiling.

Down to a loose pair of shorts, he was comfortable in your rather large canopy bed, making him feel like the man the princess chose. You were the royal one, while he was lucky enough to have the princess’s affection. He wasn’t by any means shy, but he knew where the boundaries lie.

“Good night, Cu Chulainn, Child of Light.”

“Good night, (Y/n)...Master.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter, like many, was overdue. My story has been mostly completed, and I've struggled with which of the three endings I shall proceed with. Though for fun, I may just make all three alternate endings for the ones who enjoy this story, and I suppose for closure. I just worry that in the current section I am writing that will lack the impact I currently find within the first several chapters. Though now we are starting to learn about the reader, her personal affairs, her thoughts, and maybe her dreams. Cu Chulainn is the one I hope to also give enough to, though due to story, I feel that the way he is written to be fits fairly well. I also hope that visions turned into understandable text, and if not, the end note will serve as a guide to assist. With that, thank you for continuing to read this tale, something I'm glad is pulled out of my mind and posted into words. Good evening and stay grand.


	7. 'First Love / Late Spring' - Mitski

By the time you were at another one of your favorite bars, the morning wasn’t so embarrassing. You still remembered waking up with his lean, yet muscular arms, around you; your back was against his chest, and you remembered being frozen there for a while until he also awoke. He didn’t have any regrets being comfortable, and you had clearly not pushed him away.

There was no line crossing, so there was no problem, even if he was throwing a flirty comment your way every so often. You and him were closer than originally planned now. And it showed when you two came into the bar with a laugh at something Cu had said.

The blue haired man was so much more comfortable with you and even being out with you didn’t make him as odd. A single girl was playing music on the small stage, singing a soft love song. Following behind you, he leaned against the bar and asked, “You know this bartender, too?”

With a small grin, you pointed toward the bartender, a younger-looking man with white, now fading into black hair pushed out of his face. His eyes were green as they looked toward you and him, giving a wide grin. “This, Cu, is the wild and dangerous Benjamin. Many call him Ben, though.”

The young man smiled bright at such an introduction. “That’s me, alright. Better watch out, though. Moira’s new guy or whatever is here.” You rolled your head back in disapproval. “I’m not tryin’ to kick you out or anything, but she gets weird with you around.”

“You make it sound like it’s my fault.” You whined, looking toward Cu. “She’s quite honestly the most fiendish friend I know.”

Ben laughed at that, fixing his collared shirt. “You call that girl your friend? Tell me, do you have any non-friends, miss?”

Clicking your tongue, you chuckled. “Anyone I don’t know is. Sure, she’s annoying beyond belief, but what can I say?”

“She’s, like, obsessed with you, remember?” This sparked Cu’s attention, though you just rolled your eyes. “You think I’m wrong?”

The lancer spoke up now, “What do you mean by that?” 

“It’s nothing.” You said, waving your hand. 

Ben nodded his head at someone leaving, and poured a set of shots. “That was him.” He commented, though you had just missed it. “Looks like you’re in luck, little madame.”

Cu thought it was amazing that this man could actually drink on the job. Though perhaps it was due to his trade that he had no leash. Ben held up his own, you and Cu following suit before setting down the empty glasses.

You laughed after making an unpleasant face. “I forgot you like tequila!” Seeing you so happy today made your lancer relax. 

Ben laughed along with you and the blue haired man, amused. “Cu, was it? I heard you two were around together a few days this week. Is there something I don’t know about? Come on, you can tell me. Anyone with this little girl is good with me.” You rolled your eyes again before huffing. “You’re short, especially compared to this good-looking fella! (Y/n), for real, where did you find him? He’s beautiful!”

As his ego was fed, you sighed, feeling his confidence emanating from him. Cu looked toward you with his grin before looking at his friendly new companion. “We’re close friends, I’m staying at her place for now.”

The man looked excitedly at you before leaning on the bar. “No shit, you know where the enigma lives? Amazing. You certainly are special.” 

You could practically feel his grin, though you’d allow him that much. “Tonight is a special night, Benny.” You spoke up. “Tonight’s the night we have a drinking contest.”

“Oh really now? I can already tell he’s going to win. But I think seeing you lose in my bar will be fulfilling.” He said, grabbing two waters, knowing you’d need it.

You pouted at his words. “What do you mean by that? I’ve beaten plenty of men! At this bar and other ones.” You almost sounded offended at what he said. 

Cu grinned, excited. “Can’t beat Irish blood, Frenchie.” He said as he leaned closer to your face, a smug grin pulled at his lips. “He’s also got a point: you’re tiny.”

Benjamin set down the glasses before pulling out a couple different bottles. “Alright, pick your poison.”

Cu obviously let you pick, since he’d give you that much. Or he just wanted to beat you with what you were most confident in. “Vodka, big surprise.” 

“Hey hey, I don’t need to be bullied by both of you. Cu, you’re on my side, remember?” You said, joking about the relationship you two shared.

Laughing, he shook his head. “As of this second, it’s you against me.” His fingers grabbed his new filled shot glass, snickering at you. “Do I get an award if I beat you?”

Scoffing, you gave him a grin of your own. “Knowing you, I wouldn’t dream of giving you anything you wanted. An old pervert like you can just accept that, right?”

Sighing in defeat, he shrugged. “I guess the winner just has bragging rights. How cruel fate is to me.” Your laugh made him smile, making him comfortable as Ben stood back, preparing the next round already before moving onto the next customer.

The music played behind you relaxed every muscle in your body, allowing you to easily take the harsh liquor. Your mind focused on the game at hand, having very short, almost flirtatious, banter between each round. 

After at least three more, you took a breath. Face tinted pink, you had a sip of your water before standing up. “I must powder my nose, I’ll return shortly.” You said with a slight wobble to every step.

Cu watched as you did, his chin resting against his palm as his elbow propped on the bartop. The voice of Benjamin spoke up as he came back with the next round. “She’s not going to give up anytime soon.”

With a grin, the lancer nodded in agreement. “I didn’t think she would.” He admitted, having fun with this, despite his own cheeks were heating up. He just hoped it wasn’t actually from your bond with him.

“So, Cu.” He spoke up again, his green eyes catching red ones. “How’s it like being with one of the most dangerous girls out there?”

“Dangerous?” He asked, raising a brow. “If anything, she’s like a cat. She’s stubborn, does what she wants, and can barely sit still for more than a few minutes.”

The bartender chuckled at that. “There are cat people out there, you know. I was trying to say that it’s been a long time since I’ve seen her how she is with you.” 

Catching his attention, Cu thought about it. “Is she that different now? I’m, uh, not from here.” He used the cover you offered up before, keeping his current existence a secret.

Smiling, he nodded at the question. “Yeah, she wasn’t too much different up until some point last year. She kinda disappeared for a little bit, but we all guessed she went home for a while. Never a way to get any information out of her, though, so most people didn’t bother to ask. Not even when she became more secretive.” He admitted.

He thought about it for a moment, though the alcohol clouded many rational thoughts. “Is that so…”

“Yeah. Some folks started calling her a ghost after that, especially Moira.” Quietly setting down the large bottle, Benjamin sighed.

Interested once again, the Child of Light looked to your seat. “A ghost.” He repeated, trying to imagine you silent and pale, but wasn’t able to change his image of you.

Nodding as he leaned against the bar, Ben looked at the lancer with curiosity. “This is just a story, but there’s a couple different tales where for a while, lights would flicker when she was in. A few things were weird about her, too, but the part that got me were the shadows. As far as I’ve seen, though, nothing. Probably Moira just being Moira.”

At this point, you returned with a strong grin. “I’ve returned, as promised.” Seeing the staring blank faces of your two friends, you furrowed your brows. “Did I smudge my makeup?”

Shaking his head, Ben smiled. “You look stunning as usual, (Y/n).” 

“Good, I aim to look wondrous.”

Cu listened, focused on your gaze. A year ago. Must have been when your foster parents died. He remembered the scene from last night, and wondered if you had tried to heal by going to be social. Didn’t seem to work, from what Ben’s story said.

“Why do you talk like that?” Ben suddenly asked. “Not like it doesn’t match you, but it’s so…different.”

You blinked at his question before laughing. “This is actually kind of embarrassing!” Cu listened in, wishing to know as well. “I learned a good amount of English through old, glamorous films. I’ve always loved the way royalty spoke, so I still use it.”

“Huh, that’s surprisingly cute.” He commented, though waved toward Cu as if to say he wasn’t competition for him. 

The lancer then smiled, looking toward you. “You may as well be royalty. You are just as stunning as a princess.” He said quietly, though didn’t care if you did or did not hear it. However, now speaking up, he pushed your glass to you. “Let’s get back to business, my lady.”

Giving him a smile again, you went ahead to take the next two rounds with him. More mindless banter with him as you began to shut everyone else out. With each passing swallow of pure hell, it began to feel like nothing. Most would call it almost hazardous, but your mind seemed to develop the idea that your only objective was to defeat Cu at this game. You never did take count, but you believed in yourself to stop, or maybe Ben.

With shaky vision, you turned toward him with a smile. Your movements were much faster than your thoughts, though it felt like slow motion. His blue hair was quite vibrant, you noticed as he played with the small glass in front of him. Your eyes finally met red ones and you found yourself staring at their beauty. 

He was beautiful.

“You alright, (Y/n)?” He called, waving a hand in front of your face before grinning his cocky grin. “Ready to give up?”

Shaking your head slowly, you looked back at your own empty glass, more thoughts moving through your hazy mind. “Not at all, just give me a few minutes.” Water was your new best friend, taking your attention away from the one on your mind.

If this was his time period, or even if you were someone else entirely, he’d call you a name, smug about how you really were done. Of course, he would stop you, even with himself starting to feel a little hazy. His faith in you truly was that of a hound’s, and he wasn’t worried that you would go over what you could. 

The way you had stared at him, though. That was something else. You had seemed to catch yourself, leaving him to wonder what you were really thinking of.

After a few minutes, you had taken your drink, shoulders shuddering once again at the bitter taste. He followed, keeping an eye on you as you wavered from side to side in your seat. “This song is magical.”

Remembering the music heard was live, he listened for it. It was quiet, yet comforting. The words didn’t mean anything to him, though; they were just mumbles as he focused on you. The look on your face was content, even with your jean jacket falling off your shoulder. 

A large tattoo from your left shoulder down to your elbow made him look in awe. A beautiful vine of pink and white flowers littered your arm as if it were meant to be there. He reached out slowly to feel your skin, surprising you. 

Seeing you relax, he continued to reach until he felt the soft skin. “It’s beautiful.” He commented, looking at the details. If only his time had such body art.

“They’re magnolias.” Your voice spoke, a small smile across your face as he looked at your arm. 

“They suit you well. Why these flowers?” He asked with curiosity in his voice. “They must have a meaning to you.”

Nodding, you took your next drink. “My mother’s name was Magnolia.” You smiled at the thought of her older face, before continuing. “My father, the romantic he was, would remind her often that the flowers represented nobility and dignity. A perfect name for her.”

He didn’t mean to talk about them again with you, especially with what happened the previous night. Instead, he covered up the art on your body with your jacket before standing up and offered you his hand.

Your eyes went from his hand to his face, wondering what he was doing. Hand in his, he helped you stand before carefully leading you toward the rather empty side of the bar near the stage. Slowly, you began to understand what he was doing, the pink on your cheeks vivid in the light. Placing your hand on his shoulder, he placed his on your waist, your free hands together as he gently led you into a slow dance.

Eyes widened slightly, you looked up to meet his own red ones. His face was not smug, but genuine as he danced with you slowly, the slight wobble still present between the two of you. 

The song was just background noise as you and him were both silent. The lancer’s smile seemed to be contagious, as your own lips began to rise to match. “Are you sure you weren’t a prince in your life?”

The blue haired man chuckled at your question. “I’d have gladly given my title as a warrior for a princess such as yourself.” His words somewhat surprised even him, though his embarrassment faded as you gave him a tearful smile.

Your heart was warm as you took what he said seriously. Your eyes closed as you stepped closer to him, your cheek leaning into his chest, the heels of your boots giving you just enough height to reach his chest comfortably.

The sudden move surprised Cu Chulainn, though he wrapped his arms around you carefully as he still swayed side to side with you. Music carried the both of you in that spot, keeping him comfortable as your hands gripped his shirt. Red eyes closed just as a new sensation hit him, despite the lingering alcohol.

Another servant has been summoned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The amount of fluff in this chapter has made me very happy compared to writing the last half of this story. I realize I bring it up almost every chapter, but it still makes me kind of sad in a way; similar to when you have a new director between seasons or movies. Anyways, please enjoy as always.


	8. 'Punisher' - Phoebe Bridgers

Thoughts of that night lingered in your heart, keeping you warm inside, even through the next couple of days. As you sat at your vanity, holding one of your lipsticks, you began to think of a simple touch.

What would he do if you kissed him? Moreso, would he let you?

You shook your head before putting on a gentle shade of pink on your own lips. A silly thought you had for someone who knew what would happen to him in the next couple of weeks, if not sooner. Your shoulders dropped as you tried to stop thinking about him and any sort of romance. It wasn’t fair to either one of you to think this way, and as big of a flirt as he was, he would have kissed you already if he had wanted. On top of that, you were well aware he had been married before to someone he must have truly loved.

But that night still lingered with you, even sober. How could someone like him be so romantic? Or was he just trying to avoid you getting upset about your parents? The tattoo on your shoulder was still as beautiful as the day it was inked as you stared at it, reminding you of her, your mother, as she was wooed everyday by your father. The stories they shared with you, even if they weren’t in a fantasy setting with villains and princesses and betrayal. No mages or war, but a genuine love story.

They had the most beautiful tale, even so. And with the days with the Child of Light passing, he makes you reminisce in those old stories. It created some sort of weird feeling in your chest, though you weren’t sure what exactly it was. Between love, guilt....maybe even sadness or loneliness.

Your hands turned pink as your magical circuits appeared on your skin. The small tug on your heartstrings made you realize Cu could probably begin to feel your growing emotions, leaving you to resort to another form of meditation. Mana put your beating organ at ease quietly as to put the feelings to a minimum. You didn’t want him to know every little thing you felt, it was a cluster inside you.

One day, your heart could probably burst from all the mana you had taken from the things you’ve seen and the people you’ve met. You only hoped that your heart could contain the intense emotions you took in before that actually happened.

Hearing him in the other room, however, you smiled as you stood up and left to check on him. “Child of Light, what are you doing?” You asked, leaning against the wall.

The Servant looked back at you and grinned. “(Y/n)! I was just polishing Gae Bolg.” The lance was across his lap as he sat on your couch, the red shining from the sunlight peeking through the window.

Seeing the weapon reminded you once again of the war he should be part of. After a second, you put on a smile as you approached him. “It’s beautiful.” You spoke up from the chair across from the couch he was on, his red eyes matching his weapon of choice.

Chuckling, he wiped it with a towel. “I wouldn’t say that, but...it was my best friend for a long time. What are you doing today-” He stopped upon seeing your unnaturally blank stare. “(Y/n), are you okay?”

“Do you miss the battlefield?”

Your question caught him off guard, but he dematerialized his lance to answer you. “I know you don’t have a wish for the Grail, and I actually don’t either. All I wanted before was to fight, it kind of comes with being a Servant, not to mention in my heart as a warrior.” His eyes trailed from yours to the floor, unsure how you’d feel. “I really don’t mind being here, you’ve shown me that.”

“Cu, I’m sorry.” Your voice called out softly. “I don’t want to be selfish, you know. The past few days, I had forgotten why you came here; and I had tossed it aside and forced you to stay with me, anyway, as if you weren’t a real person.”

He listened to you in surprise, furrowing his brows as you spoke with such a plain, yet sad tone. “(Y/n)...” He trailed off, wanting to say it was okay. Cu, however, could not deny he still ached for the fight of the war. “I did want to win the grail for my master...yet I’m not unhappy I have you.”

You stared at your command seals, still never believing to have a reason to use them. It seemed cruel to force him to do anything. Servant was too strong a word for you, as you seemed to find yourself caring for your own. “I believe you with no doubt.” You said, trying not to feel the bitter sadness of seeing him fight, and especially seeing him die. “However, I’d rather help you fulfill your wish. Also...the war would still one day have to finish. I could not allow myself to drag your name down by hiding like a coward.”

To be honest, he had not thought that far ahead. You were right, though. It was becoming impossible for him to say that maybe he wanted to prolong the war by hiding away with you. Images of your aging face while he stayed the same, however, did not sit well with him, either. “Master.” Your shoulders stiffened when he called you by the title, though he forced himself to continue. “I will win for you, and I will protect you no matter the cost. Only if you wish to take part, of course.”

If it had not been for the mana keeping your heart at bay, you probably would have cried right there. You reached out, grabbing his hand. “And I will do everything I can to assist you as well, as your partner.”

“‘Partner?’”

Smiling just a little bit, you nodded. “Master and Servant...is a little demeaning for someone I truly wish to protect.” Letting him go, you ran a hand through your hair, standing up. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to try to work on my magic.”

The blue lancer quietly watched you go as he took a deep breath. He leaned back against the couch, hoping that you knew what this war meant. Cu honestly worried about you, and he wasn’t sure if he could protect you from the tragedies you were sure to face, an inexperienced second-child mage was not meant for the danger that lay ahead. 

But he’d be damned again if he didn’t try.

~

You came out hours later in a much lighter mood, your relaxed smile putting Cu at ease. “My apologies, my training was more intense than I had anticipated. Did you notice it at all?”

Shaking his head, the lancer thought about the strong feelings your human heart passed to him through your bond. It was normally much stronger in his own chest, but now it was light. “What did you do? Are you alright?”

“Yes, I’m just fine. Focus on yourself for now, I’m doing this training so the other mages don’t find me as a threat. The mana I can’t contain inside myself becomes a red flag for strong mages, so I had to come up with a way to relax my heart of most emotions.”

He didn’t understand how you said it so easily, as if it was normal. “You really do just take in mana from everything you focus on...but you think that’s okay? Can’t you just stop it?”

You sighed, leaning against the wall. “I wish I could, but Itsuki never did teach me how. I had to train up to get to the level I’m on, even if it’s pathetic.”

“So you’ve just been sucking up mana without having a way to expel it? That’s dangerous, even I know that! And you want to pretend you can just put magic into your beating heart and say it won’t kill you one day?” His outburst was forceful, surprising you. After a second of no response, he sighed. “I know you’re inexperienced, and I will not hold that against you.”

“But?” You asked, ready for another good scolding from him.

Cu looked to you, putting his cheek into his hand. “Something’s just not right if you’re forced to do that as a precaution.” He really didn’t mean to yell at you or anything of the sort, but seeing how his lance has struck through the hearts of more than he can count, he can only imagine you going through the same pain with what you were doing.

“I’m sorry.” You said, a phrase you feel you’ve been saying too often. “I just was never taught, so I have to do what I can for now. After this war...I’ll seek another mage’s help.”

That sat much better in him, knowing that you would promise to reach out for help once this was over and he was gone. He was kind of embarrassed to feel so strongly toward you, his estranged master. “Thank you.”

After a moment, you took a deep breath. “There’s a show tonight.” You said softly, trying to invite him despite his light temper at the moment. “We leave for Japan in a week...turns out Itsuki planned the trip and sent the tickets and information. I hate him…” You mumbled the last part as your servant turned to you. 

“Yeah…”

You felt somewhat guilty due to his unusually quiet behavior. You thought you were doing what was right. Letting yourself enjoy his presence was too selfish for a man who would just disappear one day. Walking into the pub, you smiled at Zetty, who grinned wide back at you. “My darling, I’ve returned.”

The young lady chuckled at your tone. “You don’t have to call me things like that anymore, you know.” She commented, looking at Cu for a moment, trying to signal that she was assuming something. “Here for the show?” 

“You’re beginning to know me a lot better.” You told her before giving her a relaxed smile. “After all, her next performance could be far off where she’s famous beyond words.”

Chuckling, Zetty started making two drinks she knew you would order. “That's real positive of you, she’d love to hear that. She’d also want you to sing a song up there sometime.”

Cu peeked over at you, wondering if you could sing. You waved your hand. “Maybe one day. It’s not like I want to be popular or anything.”

She grinned toward your lancer. “I bet you had no idea your madam sang here before. The voice of an angel, don’t let her tell you different.”

“That was when I first started coming here a couple years ago, Zetty. I’d much rather drown in liquor like I do now.” You said, sipping your new drink with a slight smile.

“You’re an alcoholic, (Y/n).” The bartender commented, leaning against the back counter as you stood calmly still. “It’s not healthy to drink almost every night, even if you don’t get sick.”

You waved your hand. “It relaxes me just as much as cannabis does others. I’d say I’ve deserved it in exchange for everything I’ve gone through.” The smile on your face grew once again. “My apologies for being short, my darling.”

Zetty sighed as you gave her the smile, her finger tapping your nose. “I started it, just...Cu, make sure to take care of her. She obviously doesn’t let anyone else.”

“Of course.” He said before following you to a table. “(Y/n), I can’t tell how you’re feeling, did you overdo it earlier? It’s not like you to argue.”

You chuckled as you leaned back in your chair. “I’m just lost in thought. The war terrifies me; I’m unfit for this. It’s making me overthink and when I do that, my emotions become more fragile. You know what happens then. So for the next couple of days, I will do my best to control the mana intake. I meant it, though, alcohol seems to help. I guess I am an alcoholic, like she said; not all names people call me are false, you see.”

Your lancer remained quiet for the next few minutes, just waiting for the show you wanted to see. Were you even going to tell your ‘friends’ you were heading out to Japan? It didn’t seem so, even if it were possible that you wouldn’t return. The thought upset him, disappointed with himself to even come up with such a thought. Of course you would come back, he would not fail you as the others he had failed in his past life. This new life would be successful. 

Red eyes focused on you, even during the show, wondering what you were thinking about, if anything at all. He also said nothing when you had gotten a couple more drinks, one by one. For once, he actually didn’t partake, the usual joy of being drunk just did not appeal to him tonight. 

He actually was prepared to stop you once you had finished a couple more, the pink on your cheeks becoming a little vibrant. Of course, it was also warm in the building and outside, so your cheeks were probably warmed up by that as well. 

“Cu, do you need to be taught Japanese or do you already know? Servants get all kinds of information…” You trailed off, curiously looking toward him.

He blinked at the sudden question, though it was curious to him as well. “I can speak Japanese, the Grail gives the Servant whatever language is necessary for the war. I guess it’ll just come naturally. I can speak for both of us, you don’t need to cram.”

You chuckled a bit. “No need, I’ve been taught that since I was young as well.” It surprised him how calm you spoke in Japanese, as you already seemed to know two more languages. He assumed it was also Itsuki’s teaching as well. Just who was he?

“I understood you! So that definitely means I can speak it, too.” He responded, his red eyes sparkling at the new talent he had. “This will be very good when we get into Japan.”

“So you do speak Japanese!” A voice called, causing you to look over at the new voice. You gave a small, forced smile to Moira, who stood in front of your table now, pulling a chair over. “Does that make this the guy you’ve been talking to in Japan?” She asked, her bright blue eyes looking Cu Chulainn up and down. “He doesn’t look Japanese.”

Cu looked toward you in surprise. Judging by your face, you knew this girl, but someone in Japan? “Ah…” He started, though the ginger girl started to talk again, batting her eyelashes at you. 

“Come on, is this him? You’ve been talking to him for how long now? Before or after you disappeared?” She asked again, putting her elbow on the table. “And left me behind?”

You were growing irritated, and in turn, your feelings slowly grew inside of him. “Do not confuse Cu for someone else.” You simply said, though frowned when Moira learned of your lancer’s name.

“Cu! I’m sorry, you were just speaking Japanese. But if this isn’t your ‘usual 2 am meeting,’ then who is? You didn’t answer that part yet!” She pushed, leaning closer to you. It was clear she failed to see the low malfunctioning of the lights by your table.

“That was with Itsuki.” You said, sipping your drink as you moved your chair away from hers as casually as you could. Clearly, you weren’t in the mood. Her anger seemed to seep into your heart, drowning out the music that had just begun. What should be peaceful became a type of aggressive white noise, disrupting your clarity of mind.

On the other side, Moira obviously didn’t have a filter. “Then are you really going to drag Cu along, too? And how long have you been talking to this Itsuki, hmm?” Fingers twitched on your cup, on the verge of shaking as you kept it in, disgusted by the way she said his name.

Your Servant could see you trying not to let anything show and held your shoulder gently. He knew Itsuki as his would-be Master, but he wasn’t sure if you had a quick lie or way out of the situation this girl pushed herself into. “That’s enough, (Y/n) doesn’t have to answer that.” 

The girl puffed out her cheeks before leaning over the table. “Yes she does! I only just found this out from her, and I want to know if she’s stringing others around for some guy continents away! So what is it, (Y/n)? Before or after you disappeared and stopped talking to me?” Her deep blue lipstick was vivid as she frowned, too desperate to figure out an answer. This beautiful girl was adamant about finding an answer, forcing herself to move even closer, preventing any sudden movements from you.

Finally looking up to her, your expression was straight, the usual smile on your face vanished. In the corner of Cu’s eye, he noticed a dark mass from under the table, causing him to tug on your sleeve gently. “My dear Moira, he was my despicable brother. Have no fear now, he’s six feet under along with my parents now.” You stood up, grabbing several dollar bills out of your bag. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to bathe in liquor at home before I go completely feral.” 

Cu could see the spotlight for the stage beginning to flicker as well when he stood up, taking your hand gently despite the information he now knew. Moira’s silence made it easier for him to lead you away, where you dropped off your payment before leaving quietly.

Your words echoed through his head as your emotional spike now plunged into his own body. “(Y/n)...” He trailed off quietly, hoping he could talk to you even a little bit. Honestly, he didn’t know if he heard right anymore. Confirmation was kind of what he wanted, though he knew he couldn’t ask you, especially now.

The silence was deadly, your march straight home made him remain quiet, thinking of the words he would say when he felt it was safe. The ten minute walk home was insanely long, and you were quick to throw off your heeled boots and pour rum into a glass. Cu couldn’t stop you; didn’t want to make you more angry than you already seemed to be.

“Moira’s a peach, isn’t she?” You asked with a fake smile, shoulders shuttering now from the sudden liquor intake. “Funny story actually, I...what’s the term, what is it...ah...poursuivre...ah...pursue! Right, I tried to pursue her for a good while; she was absolutely beautiful. Of course you noticed! And just as it may go somewhere, my parents died. Suddenly love was not real, so I did the least princely thing I could and stopped talking to her during my solemn hour. Isn’t that just funny, how I’m actually the little devil who did her wrong? Yes, I act as if she’s crazy, but really I just don’t know how to act human.” You laughed before taking another sip, pouring more before sitting on the couch. “Now it’s your turn, ask me any question, I’ll answer everything, it’s all on the table now.”

Cu Chulainn was on the couch, unsure if he could even ask you now. Your near hysteria seemed to be growing stronger, and it was only moments away from possibly taking out your light bulbs. His hand slowly took yours, trying to be gentle as he spoke to you, trying not to ruin the moment with his rotten luck. “(Y/n), take a deep breath, please. Or let’s just get you into bed, we can chat tomorrow.”

You huffed at that, taking another sip. “You just found out that I tried to be with that lovely girl and I ruined it along with everything else and you want to talk to me about it while sober? Just before we go to war and I come home without you? No history book told me you were that funny, Cu Chulainn. A true comedian you are.”

Your accent grew stronger with every word, almost becoming unintelligible as you were speaking faster in your moment of hysteria. He wanted to calm you down, but how? He was internally panicking, though it was your overflowing mana causing your emotions to cloud his own. “Stop.” He said, finally taking your shoulders in his hands. “Just stop. Please.”

Your eyes met with his, the red eyes that still shone even with what little light you had turned on. Setting down your glass, you stopped rambling to attempt at assessing the situation. “Damn that I-Itsuki…” You mumbled finally, looking down to cry. Your Lancer didn’t deserve to see you cry after the things you had said or hid from him. “I-I hate him…”

“So Itsuki is your brother, then.” He carefully asked, unsure how to make the situation any better. Perhaps if he played the role of therapist, you would feel some ease. It would be much easier with his ability to understand the world of mages.

Feeling his grip on you loosen, you leaned into your side of the couch, staring at the plant across the room. “Yes. He was the firstborn, so I guess it was just easier to cut me off before my eyes could open. His family was from Japan, and he managed to contact me through some magecraft spell when I was six maybe.”

Cu listened to what you said, unable to say anything more as you spoke. He wanted to know more of course, but waited for you to continue. At least you weren’t on a rampage as before.

“After that, he told me who I was. He was a spoiled brat, even as a teenager. I was perfectly happy with the family that wanted me, but I guess being taught how to fly on a broomstick was enough to convince a little girl to learn magecraft; believe me, I wish I didn’t just make that up. He didn’t teach me much, but we would talk almost every week at first. He had taught me Japanese, eventually telling me that it was a ‘pain to use magic to continue speaking French to me.’ It went on like that until he died. I don’t know what happened to him at all, but judging by his last few messages, he must have gotten himself into trouble and gotten himself killed.”

“(Y/n)...why didn’t he teach you how to control your mana intake?” He asked, thinking about how you could possibly suffer in the long run. “Why would he teach you how to take it, but not use it?”

Sitting up again, you thought about the past several years again. “He said it wasn’t a problem. Though after my parents died, my emotions had started causing my mana to be damn near uncontrollable, so I went to Itsuki for help. He told me many different incantations and spells, but nothing he taught worked.” You sighed as you thought of his words. “‘It’s because you’re the rejected mage’s child.’”

“No wonder he got his ass murdered.” Cu commented finally, running his hand through his hair. “I would’ve beat the shit outta him too, if I heard.”

A soft chuckle came from you as you heard that. “I guess I was so desperate to feel like a human again, I continued talking to him even after that. Or maybe I had known him so long, he felt like family, the only one I had left. Not that I’ve ever seen my birth parents. He tricked me into accepting these seals, though he probably wasn’t expecting us to be here together now.”

He returned your soft smile with one of his own before nodding. Slowly, he leaned toward you, his forehead gently touching your own. “Fate has a weird way of working. It’s not exactly fair, but sometimes the good things outweigh the bad ones.”

“Cu Chulainn, I’m sorry for not telling you. I’m still not used to talking to anyone about personal matters, and I didn’t even tell my parents about Itsuki being my brother or that I could do magic.” It seemed as though that continuously seemed to bother you, though now he could honestly have no blame for how you felt.

Hearing your apology made him grin before motioning for you to come closer. Blinking, you scooted beside him and gently leaned into his open side as his arm wrapped around you. Comfort. Warmth. Protection. Your stomach felt as warm as your face, though you dared not move away. “Just remember you can be open with me, (Y/n). I’m your lance.”

Closing your eyes, you once again remembered that love truly was real.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It has been quite some time since the previous update. Work has been hectic, a new kitten has made his home with me, and Cu Alter's statue now sits next to my Romani figure. My new gaming chair is also quite comfortable and allows me to write, especially when I now telework half the week. More on the story, it has not been completed, as it needs more updates on the writing. It felt rather bland where I currently am, so I hope to add depth plus some once I can. However, this chapter was a breath of fresh air while making sure it was up to my standards. Amazing how relationships grow, even if there are moments of uncertainty. Thank you once again for reading, I'm honestly shocked to have almost 1000 reads and several comments. I feel extremely honored by all the views, kudos, and comments. Please continue to look out for this story, and if anyone is interested, I will reveal my thoughts of the main character if she had a design and name rather than just 'you' or (Y/n).


	9. 'Kindergarten' - Chloe Moriondo

“Oi, (Y/n), what are ya up to?” Cu asked as he waltzed into your bedroom, apparently bored without you to bother. “We still have three days til we have to go! Isn’t it too early to pack?” He tilted his head as he peeked at your suitcase.

You chuckled as you looked through your closet, picking out clothing carefully. “I decided we should leave a little early. I switched our plane tickets to leave tomorrow, so we’ll fly into another part of Japan. We can pretend to be tourists before we have to be serious.” You admitted, giving him an excited grin.

The lancer laughed at that after a moment. “Really, you never stop surprising me, little lady!” He said before slowly wondering into what you’ve packed so far, not displeased with what undergarments he had found.

“Yes, well I decided that I want to spend what time I can with you, even if it makes us fashionably late to the war.” Taking your picked outfits to your bed, you huffed at the male holding your underwear to examine. “Pardon moi, monsier.” 

Upon hearing your tone, Cu quickly dropped them into the case once again and backed up. His cheeky grin returned quickly afterward, clearly not regretting his actions. “What, I was curious! It’s not like you show me anything.”

It was your turn to laugh as you packed your clothes away neatly. “That’s very charming, Cu Chulainn. Last time I checked, you’ve managed to squirm your way into sleeping into my bed every night, is that not enough for you?” It was amusing, the teases between you and him. It wasn’t as if you really minded him just looking, it’s not intimate until he sees it on you with specific intention. You also weren’t dating him, so there was no issue. You still loved the pervert, anyway.

Leaning against the wall, he pouted before looking toward you. “But you said I could, that means you like the company. You could just kick me out if it bothered you!” He brought up a good point, and you wouldn’t deny it. 

“I like it when you sleep next to me.” You admitted rather openly, causing the lancer to blush slightly in embarrassment. “It’s comforting.”

Looking to the side, Cu ran a hand through his currently loose hair, surprised he was caught off guard. He didn’t expect it to go that way, but maybe this was good. “Shit, may as well confess you love me or whatever..” He grumbled, though he looked toward you again to see if you heard him.

Seeing you continue to work on your suitcase, he let it go, assuming you didn’t hear his quiet mumble. “I changed our hotel, too, to another location. Apparently we’re able to stay as long as we need to, Itsuki planned the whole thing out. He really was a spoiled brat when it came to his parent’s money. But I really want to shop and see the beautiful parks! Aquariums in Japan are also supposed to be otherworldly!”

“Aquarium, hmm? That’s like a fish exhibit, right?” He asked, interested. Honestly, he would take as much time as he needed away from the war to spend it with you, even if it was just stalling. “I want to try sushi, too!” He thought out loud as he watched you pick out what you needed.

The thought of being in another country that wasn’t home made you a tiny bit anxious on top of what the war was supposed to. Packing the last few pieces in your case, you closed it before plopping down on your bed. Cu would not return with you...and that lingered over you. No matter how much you tried not to think about it, the thought still creeped over, leaving a lump in your stomach. “Anything you want to do, we’ll do it. It’s paid up by my fake family, apparently.” Thinking of them and Itsuki made you think a little more as you stared up at the ceiling. “I realize I say this more than necessary, but I’m sorry I’m a coward.”

The blue-haired servant laid on his back beside you, looking to you as your eyes stared at the ceiling. “I don’t think you’re a coward.” He said, thinking over. “Even if you’re running away from here without a word, I don’t think it’s cowardice. You’re going to fight in a war, they don’t need to know.”

Listening to his words still didn’t settle your thoughts of Moira and Zetty among others. “Perhaps. I...didn’t want to go to Japan at first because I was scared.” You admitted, thinking of the tickets you saw the first morning with Cu. “I was supposed to take a flight home after I got the call that my parents had died. I hadn’t even left the front door before deciding I couldn’t go back to that empty dollhouse.”

“That’s grief, (Y/n). Sure, maybe you should’ve gone eventually, but going alone wouldn’t have been good, either.” He thought of what state you would’ve been in at the time, no friends to bring with you. “I would have gone with you.” Cu finally said as he looked up at the ceiling alongside you, doing everything he could to not pull you closer to him. As much as he had wanted to, he didn’t want to ruin the peace between you two that was in the air.

It was comfortable. With mana protecting your heart from excessive stress and anxiety, contemplating simple things to the soft tunes Cu had played in the record player was so much easier. The idea of your new housemate even existing was still new, yet you were growing more familiar with just being around a person for more than a couple hours. His presence alone filled you with something you haven’t felt since you left your parent’s home in France. Deciding to pretend he would not disappear, you scooched your body until the two of you were arm to arm. “You would have given me the courage to go.”

The words and actions you took made him sigh quietly, yet he still had a small smile. “Well I’ll take care of you now. For as long as I can.” Cu said before grinning toward you. “Japan is pretty this time of year, right?”

His question made you chuckle. “Japan is always beautiful. You just have to know the right places.” You move yourself again to lay on your side, facing him, watching him match your own position. “I’ll show you the way, Child of Light.”

Cu’s smile toward you was entirely contagious, your smile growing bigger and more genuine as you looked at him. “Yeah? Been planning a Japan trip?” He asked, poking your forehead. 

Playfully swatting his finger, you shrugged. “I have a lot of lists for trips! I thought I would travel one day! Say what you will, but I’ve wanted to go to Ireland and Scotland for awhile now.” The lancer’s face brightened as he leaned closer to your face excitedly. “Down, boy! I figured that would be my last trip before settling back home in France!” 

He then pouted and leaned back away from your face. “Hmph, if I wasn’t destined to fight, I would almost say screw the war and go to Ireland with me.” His words made you chuckle again, knowing fully well they could not do such a plan.

“I’d love it, but Ireland is also rather close to the Mage’s Association, and honestly, staying away might be for the best…” You admitted softly. “Hey, you’ll be on an airplane with me for a long time, can you handle that?” 

“Hah! You think a giant air bullet is going to drive me insane?” He asked, pretending to sound offended. “Try and worry about yourself, princess. There are no bars on airplanes, as far as I’m aware.” 

Rolling your eyes, you finally got up to check your items list again. “I’ve always wanted to go to a Japanese bar, actually. And they absolutely must have decent liquor and not just sake. This is 2004, the 21st century!” You sighed once again in hope, but you opened your phone to look at the time. “Hmm, I suppose it’s also good to leave early...jet lag will be rough, since we’re basically moving forward in time.”

Cu sat up at this. “You’re saying it’s tomorrow in Japan right now? Does that mean we’re late or not?” He asked, somewhat surprising you at what he wasn’t used to. 

“Yeah, there are different time zones. Japan’s nearly on the other side of the planet. It’s going to be a sleeping flight, that’s for certain.” You put your finger in the air with a goofy smile. “Itsuki, you’ve really outdone yourself, rewarding me with first class. A true biological brotherly act!”

The lancer laughed at that, standing up as well. “Don’t praise him too much yet, he’s still thrown you into this.”

Bringing your hand down, you shrugged. “Your presence is enough for me to be thankful to such an asshole.” You then tapped your chin, looking at him as he seemed to process what you said. “I don’t know if I can continue to call you ‘Cu’ while in Japan, though…”

He blinked before putting his hair back into his low ponytail. “Ah, around other masters, call me ‘Lancer.’ In public, just call me by ‘Setanta.’”

“Setanta?” You repeated, unsure if you recognized it or not. 

“You didn’t think my name was Cu Chulainn, was it?” He grinned. “Come on, I thought you researched me!”

Embarrassment arose in you, causing your face to heat up at what little you seemed to learn. “I-I did, but I was still in a bit of a panic at the time! I know three languages, I am wise; I am a translator!”

He leaned down again to bring his face closer to yours, his playful grin wide. “Yeah, I know you’re a smart little lady. You just happened to skip that it was a name given to me, basically calling me a guard dog. Long story, just check later.” He snickered. “Setanta is my childhood name.”

Honestly, you had somewhat wished he didn’t get so dangerously close.

Unable to look away from his bright eyes, you tried to respond straight. “So….I’ve been referring to you as ‘dog?’ And you let me?” 

Cu would honestly be almost disappointed if no move was made here, as he told you more personal information. Instead, he laughed; you were obviously embarrassed and your warm feelings were slowly becoming his own. Your mana emotional shield was starting to fade as you spoke to him. The puff in your cheeks as you pouted only made you more attractive to him at that moment, and he simply wished things could stay this way much longer.

This was truly a good life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good evening, everyone. As usual, apologies for a late return, however, I don't plan on giving up this story, as most of it has been written (several chapters left (over 40 pages on Google Docs). Two notes for more amusing and fulfilling purposes:
> 
> First, I wanted to note that I prefer OCs when writing, however, when I was using OCs on another site, it was frowned upon. Now, some readers are quite similar to myself. For this reason, I will be giving you what I had pictured as the main character of this story. She is Japanese, as you all are aware (now), and she is more traditional with black hair (about upper back length, naturally straight, though she tends to curl it on most occasions). Her eyes are brown, a slight hazel-red tint in the sunlight. Her height is about 5'3" which is made a tease from her acquaintances. Finally, her name would be Adelaide Lejoux-Pierre.
> 
> Second note was that I have selected two songs to serve as an 'OP and ED' to this (part of the) story:  
> The 'opening' would be ‘Yoru to Wonderland’ by Kaori Ishiguro.  
> The 'ending' would be 'Clouds in the Water' by Solfa and Nagi Yanagi.  
> If you listened to these songs (both on Spotify), let me know what you think. The other songs, I actually already have planned, and I'll let you know when the songs will change (most likely in a chapter, otherwise, this is the final chapter for these songs to be accurate.)
> 
> Thank you again for reading.


	10. 'Something Here' - Day Wave

The plane trip was something else entirely. Your servant was the only thing keeping you from going berserk, though at least your anxiety made you feel as though you were normal. The mana kept your heart at bay, though the crying of a baby several rows back made your eyes leak every so often. Business men were nervous, you could feel the bounce of their knees in your own bones, asking you to follow the trend. Someone on that airplane was full of love, however, giving you a comfortable feeling amongst the train wreck of many others. Cu Chulainn asked if you were okay once, seeing you blank out for moments with tears in your eyes, but he didn’t ask again after you gave him a small smile.

He kept you distracted by asking many questions and offering many options to go see when they were to land. Luckily for him, he wasn’t as emotionally triggered by others, though you worried him more the longer the plane ride went on. Setanta could easily say you were peaceful when you slept, and let you lean against him, keeping you as comfortable as he could. The light window was covered by the slip by the lancer before he tried to sleep beside you.

He didn’t have much time to sleep peacefully with you, the closer you came to the warzone. Any time before that was precious.

No time was wasted when the plane landed and riders could exit. Once off the plane, you took several deep breaths, Cu at your side. The rest was a blur to you, but you remember time moving slower than usual as you waited for him to grab your bags. You attempted not to look at anyone, as you could easily assume where they were going, assume what their goal was, assume how they felt…assume how much energy they give you just by being near.

“You look much better now.” You heard him say, Japanese now spoken between the two of you as you stood in the elevator alone with him, heading to your current hotel’s room. It was clear that he wanted to say more, but didn’t want to worry you. You wouldn’t tell him that you didn’t know how you came to be there.

Of course, you looked at him and gave a small smile. “I guess large crowds slow me down. Sorry I’ve been silent.” Your tone was quiet, not exactly embarrassed, but maybe anxious.

“Hah? You mumbled the entire time, I thought you were having some sort of inner thing.” His red eyes bore into yours, trying to see if you were exhausted or something to cause you to forget.

Hearing that made you grab your suitcase before stepping out of the elevator, moving down the hall. “Ah, sorry, I’m tired. I don’t do well on long trips.” You had only hoped he couldn’t tell what you were thinking, your ‘magic medication’ should prevent him from having an idea what went on in your head. Panic attack? Anxiety attack? Was that what you had partially experienced?

He scoffed, following you inside the posh room. “You don’t do well in crowds, either.” He however, left it at that. Your servant didn’t mean to sound harsh in any way, but he wasn’t happy with the escalation of whatever you experienced.

“I’m just nervous, it’s nothing. It’s probably just PTSD.” You said, making an excuse that also settled with you. “I told you I’d get help with my mage’s issues after all this. The Mage’s Association or whatever can do it.”

You looked to him now, seeing him stare out the window at the small city you were staying in. He didn’t seem angry, and it surprised you when he asked if you were ready to look around. Of course, you agreed, getting your last minute things together. You hopped out the door, where he was already heading back to the elevator. “I overheard someone say there’s a good ramen place not far from here.”

Catching up to him, your worry melted when you saw his bright smile. “Sounds great. Maybe afterward we can go look in some shops?” You leaned up to his face excitedly, hoping he’d agree.

He leaned back against the elevator, arms crossed. “I suppose that’s fine by me.” He chuckled seeing your eyes brighten in excitement. “How long do we get to stay here?”

“I was hoping perhaps tomorrow night we can catch the train and go south, toward Tokyo. We can spend a night there and keep going.” You answered him as you stood in the elevator, a bit of a bounce in your step as you were excited to look around.  
Following you through the lobby shortly after, he thought about it. “We have the time, there are still two servants that have not been summoned yet.”

You sighed in relief. “Good, we’re still early for the war. You can sense their presence, right?” Seeing him nod, you continued to walk as you thought about it. “When we get there, just lead the way, I’ll do whatever I can to help.”

He chuckled before petting your hair a little too rough, making you swat him to fix the frizz. “I’m going to make sure you’re hidden the whole time. Just pretend you live there; stay away from the fight.” He reached his arm out and pulled you to him by your shoulder, now stuck to his side. “At least when there’s six of them, I want to make sure you aren’t found by one of them while I’m gone.”

You knew what would happen if that was the case. Perhaps two things: bargaining or death. Maybe even both. Seeing the lancer clearly showing you he was relaxed despite telling you this, you did your best to do the same, walking with him as you led the way. “Okay.” You simply agreed, unsure how it would go. “I can swap hotels while we stay there if we need to.”

“Are you able to do that?” He asked curiously. “It wasn’t the original plan, Itsuki’s I mean.”

You chuckled, grabbing your wallet from your bag. You showed him a simple green card with a grin. “That spoiled man gave me this card, stacked with funds. He didn’t know how long the war would last, so he probably has everything on here. He must have expected his death and gave this to me so I would participate for him.”

Setanta scoffed at his name, though he raised a brow. “I know money is transferred in this time, but he really gave you so much? That isn’t sketchy? He was probably killed, and you aren’t worried.”

“Actually, this isn’t linked to anyone’s name. It’s untrackable without all these numbers. That, and Itsuki would never bring me up to anyone. I’m the estranged child of his family, so I’m safe.” You put your wallet away before grinning. “You’re so concerned for me, how darling.”

His pulling of you toward him only became tighter, making you laugh. “It’s almost as if I have a duty to protect and serve you.” Setanta commented, though he let you go again with a grin.

You tugged his shirt to make sure he turned a corner with you as you rolled your eyes. “I thought you were going to lose that title of master and servant. In no way am I above you, so it’s not necessary.”

“Oh is that so? Sure, I’m a demi-god, but you’re you.” He said, following you as you seemed to know where to go.

You laughed to yourself as you followed the signs through the town. “Is that supposed to make us sound equal, monsieur demi-god? If we were enemies, you could easily take me down.”

The idea never crossed his mind, actually. If you were another master, or if you were even just a passerby, would he actually point his spear at you? The thought sickened him in a way, and not just because you were a girl. He simply huffed and called out to you by name. “Yo.”

“Hm?” You asked, stopping to look at him. It surprised you slightly as he stepped closer to you, making you look up to see his face. Though it had surprised you more when his hands pressed against the wall behind you, keeping you in place. “Setanta?”

His bright red eyes shined, even if the sun was behind him, similar to rubies. They looked into your own, almost causing discomfort from how your heartbeat jolted in your chest. Again, you were reminded that you might even hold true love for this man. He leaned in closer to your face before flashing you a slight grin. “Would you react this way if this wasn’t me?”

“Of course I wouldn’t! I’m not a little girl!” You huffed, breaking your trance to yell at your friend.

You felt a strand of hair being gently tugged, him twirling it in his fingers as he leaned in a bit closer. “You sure?” He asked, that grin still plastered on his face.

What kind of lesson was this? This wasn’t a romantic confession, which frustrated you. Punching his torso, you watched as he backed up in surprise, though laughed after the shock wore down. “I’m positive, you fool.”

“Oh no, I’m hurt!” He called out, pretending to be in pain, making you roll your eyes. “Don’t pretend I’m immune to pain!”

Raising your brow, you crossed your arms, unimpressed by his childish act. “What happened to ‘I’m a demi-god?’ Now come on or I’ll leave you.”

As soon as you turned to continue on your way, he rushed to scoop you up in his arms, surprising you again. “You can’t leave me ever!” He laughed as you squired and yelled at him, until he finally put you down.

Fixing your skirt, you looked around at the strangers that passed by, the teen girls sighing at your lancer dreamily, wishing they had a boyfriend like him. There were definitely men who saw what you wore under your skirt, making you uncomfortable. This type of thing never happened to you at home, embarrassing you that these strangers witnessed what they did. Or maybe it was the embarrassment of admitting to yourself you enjoyed being with your servant this way, so free and even a little goofy. You simply grabbed his sleeve, pulling him behind you as you continued your walk.

After several minutes, you made it to the shrine you were interested in seeing. Your lancer was beside you, interested as well at the different architecture. “It’s really quiet here.” He said as he looked up at the gate on top of the stairs you climbed.

“It’s quite peaceful…even in a large forest like this.” You commented, climbing the leaf-covered steps. “Beautifully blissful, away from the rest of civilization.” He smiled slightly at the words you said, this somewhat reminding him of the trip to the river you took him on.

“I like the way you say it.” Though he was quiet, you chuckled a bit upon hearing it. “You make anything sound like a new experience, even if it’s just a walk.”

Making it to the top, you turned to face him again. “What’s the point in living if you don’t find something magical about the things you do? Or the people you meet? Something life-changing could happen at any time or anywhere.”

“Your parents teach you that, too?” You nodded before moving again toward the large shrine. He followed suit, thinking more on what you said. The more you spoke of your parents, the more he appreciated them and the more he wished he could thank them for morphing you into who you were today. “This is an honest space, isn’t it?”

What he said made you chuckle and shrug. “I suppose so, though I’m sure multiple people lie on any type of holy ground. What is it?” You asked him, giving him a couple coins for a prayer with you.

Looking at the coins for a moment, he chuckled. “I was just going to say you were cute before.” His compliment surprised you, though you simply chuckled to yourself. “What, we’re in an honest place! I’m just saying, you’re small. Immediately, you were defensive, but you didn’t act right away on it, since it was me. Just stared up at me with those eyes and said my name so softly. You trust me.”

You could barely see yourself in the way he described you, though it sounded just like a real romantic moment you had read in books. Looking down to your hands, you couldn’t help but smile. “You’re embarrassing me, Setanta. Aren’t you married, you big flirt?” Laughing at his quick search for answers, you waved your hand. “What’s wrong? We’re in an honest place, remember?”

Your laugh quieted down as he pouted. “What are your vows now? Right, ‘til death do we part,’ so I’m a free man. Besides, it’s not like you and I are in a courtship!” He looked away in his pout, making you do the same toward him, your cheeks puffed.

Court. You somewhat wondered if he would actually court you. If he had a chance, would he stay with you? Love you? “Do you miss her? Apologies if I’m overstepping.”

He thought about it. “I have never had a regret about anything I’ve done. However, this is a different life…we were not meant to be, at least not in this life. But back then, we were.” The way he said it…made you feel lighter. It made sense, how he felt. If you were in his position, you honestly didn’t know, but you could easily tell yourself that. “Jealous?”

Seeing his grin made you laugh. “It was just a curiosity! Come on, let’s do a quick prayer and get some lunch!” You bumped his side with your elbow.

“I didn’t take you for a religious type.” He said, following you anyway.

“You think I go to church? I’d burn just for being a mage.”

He shrugged. “You have a demi-god right here!”

“Going to tattle on me then?”

“Not today.” He grinned upon seeing you smile and shake your head. “A prayer, then? Alright.”

Eyes closed, you prayed for the first time. A silent wish, carried away with the wind that passed through your light body.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good evening, I'm super proud of this chapter. It's very fluffy and pure while also having some more casual personality added in. This and the next chapter make me happy and wish there was more fluff in stories. In the next couple chapters, I will introduce the next set of 'opening' and 'ending' for this version of Fate/Stay Night, which perhaps I'll change the story title to make it match. We were really deprived of a Cu Chulainn center in just about every Fate he's involved in, excluding Fuyuki with Caster Cu (Fate/Grand Order), which doesn't completely sit well with me unfortunately.  
> The more action-y chapters regarding the actual war are less focused on the fighting themselves, sadly. There are reasons for this, though I will admit that I'm more of a feelings-type of writer versus action. If you've read my Fate one-shots, you'll probably notice that I don't write much when it comes to action. I am better at watching action scenes than writing and reading, as writing it doesn't give the same feeling and can be interpreted differently than the way it was pictured in mind. With this, I hope you can forgive the quality of that writing and imagery. I'm comfortable enough with my descriptions, but if I could, I would make a YouTube video with what I hoped to portray (along with the actual OP/EDs I would select for this story.  
> Please enjoy the next chapters as they come, there is still plenty to go. I'm close to finishing the entire story, almost to the endings (3 in all, most likely will be posted at the same time under Ending A, B, C). Also, thank you for the kind praise regarding the 'reader' and Cu, both separate and together.


	11. 'Dance with Me' - beabadoobee

“Setanta, have you seen my brush? I can’t find it.” You called for your servant in your private ryokan room, only a prefecture away from your cursed destination.

His hair was down as he fiddled with the tv set. “Hmm? Did you leave it at the last hotel?” He asked, looking toward you, unimpressed with the channel selection.

“Probably, I bought so many things in Tokyo, I can’t keep track of anything anymore.” You chuckled as you stopped digging around. “I dropped my keychain I brought, too.”

Lancer chuckled now, looking through the catalogue of nearby food. “Yeah, we weren’t going to find it at the aquarium. Maybe one of the fish ate it.”

Sitting at the kotatsu, you snickered. “Yeah, I’m sure my keychain threw itself through the tank and to the fish. Do you at least still have your souvenir?”

He grinned as he brought the piece to the table. He turned on the block, showing the paper of fish rotating around the case, emitting a small blue light. You smiled at him staring at the fish that were meant as a child’s night light. “I wonder if somewhere has bigger ones. If I had time, I would’ve fished in the last place, too.”

“If I let you go fishing, I don’t know if you’d ever come back.” You snickered. “Oh, I picked this place, since they have a private onsen. Nobody visits here, so it was an amazing price. You should try it before we leave tomorrow night. We won’t get this luxury in Fuyuki.”

“Hmm? Sounds good.” He answered blankly as he stared at the fish, as if memorizing them. This made you sigh, though it was fair he could do whatever he wanted before the war. You weren’t sure if he would even sleep there, he was so set on making sure you were okay at all times.

Checking your phone for the date, you tapped your finger gently on the table. Why were you so tired at eight? Your jetlag wasn’t that bad, especially now that you had been here for a few days. Travel and plans were just getting to you, you supposed. You were fidgeting a good amount, though your excuse came to you, giving you a bit of grief. “Setanta?”

“Hmm?” He mumbled, still staring at those fish.

“Can we go get some liquor?” You asked, looking toward him.

He sat up quickly, surprised by the question. “Yeah, of course. Don’t want to go out to a bar?”

You shook your head. “No, my social battery seems to get lower every day. Combined with the travel.” The travel was easier to explain than your glorified empathic abilities. That, and you did not want to worry him.

“Ah, sure, afterwards, we’ll take a bath and go to sleep. It’s been a long week.” He admitted as he turned off his fish light and stood up. You followed suit, gently fixing your hair on the way out the door.

By the time you had arrived back, you were a bit more awake, joking with your lancer. “I just hope this wine isn’t terrible. We can’t bring it on the train, so I’ll try my best to finish it.”

“You don’t have to keep drinking it, you know.”

You sighed, setting the bag on the kotatsu. “It’s the sentimentality of it; my parents and I would chat over wine. I’ve done it for almost a decade, and I haven’t stopped even after they died. Zetty may as well have been right, I’m an alcoholic suffering from withdrawal.”

Your lancer waved his hand, signaling to not worry about it. “I don’t think you’re addicted, if that’s what you’re trying to say. It’s your comfort tool, in my opinion.”

Looking down, you shrugged. “I like that description much more.” Checking the time, you grabbed a glass for yourself, Setanta had his own cans of beer, though he didn’t seem interested in starting yet. “I’m going to take this with me to the onsen out back. I’d rather do that now.”

“Hmm? Okay.” He said calmly, watching you go into your shared room to grab what you needed. You did look better than a bit ago, but it was hard to explain. He listened to you grumble to yourself about misplacing something else of yours, but then he heard the back door open and close.

The water was warm compared to the air, but the steam kept your face warm enough. Honestly, you had always wanted to try one of these baths, and envied what Itsuki was able to experience while alive in Japan. With nobody around, it was easy to think clearly, the tiny thoughts in your head able to be listened to. Though it was mostly about how wine still tasted terrible, but you missed the days you could chat with your mother and father, who absolutely loved it.

They told you so many stories, listened to you when you had something to say. Sure, they couldn’t keep up with modern living well, but it just made them so much more memorable. That burn in your throat came back abruptly, your vision blurring as you took a sip of wine to escape. You had wanted to come clean with them, tell them what you were, and celebrate your future accomplishments and holidays with them.

The sliding door behind you opened as you wiped your tears. “I-I’ll be done in a minute, I apologize I took so long.” You called out, not wanting to move and possibly let him see anything; he didn’t need any more flirt fodder.

“I thought it would be good to join you.” He said calmly, looking toward your messy bun, as you were turned away from him. Probably wise. “Do you mind?”

You supposed it wasn’t so bad to have company. “Come on in.” You looked down at your wine glass as he got in and went to the other side of the onsen. It didn’t bother you, the two of you were mature enough to be able to be in the same onsen together.

After a quiet moment, he spoke up. “How are you doing?”

“Fine.” You said, now able to look toward him casually.

“You can talk if you need to.” Setanta told you, setting his can on the edge. “I might not have wine, but I can certainly listen.” His soft smile comforted you as you thought about it. “Come on, tell me anything.”

He knew you wanted to talk, to open up to him. It was becoming harder and harder to tell him so little. “I was just thinking about my parents. I miss them more than anything.” You admitted, feeling better already. 

“How did you end up in France if you’re from Japan, then?”

“I don’t know, actually, I think I was selected by them, and after I was a year old or something, I was able to fly home. My parents wanted to wait until retirement to adopt a child. They wanted to spend as much time as they could with that child; I don’t know why they didn’t have one of their own, but when I was adopted, my mother was in her sixties.”

“She sounds amazing.” He commented, trying to imagine you with different looking parents. Your younger self was also something he was interested in, though he wouldn’t push his limits with questions.

You smiled at that. “And my father was the greatest to her. He must have been the reincarnation of a knight who heavily doted on his princess. They were absolutely romantic, no matter what age or day of the year. It…never had crossed my mind that they wouldn’t live past a certain age. I had hoped I would get more time with them before being alone. My mother showed no signs of anything wrong prior to her demise.” You sighed to yourself, sinking into the water a bit more. “And as normal, my father followed shortly after my mother.”

“Do you have any other family?”

“Maybe someone distant, but it was always just us. Actually, I’ve never told anyone else about this.” You admitted, taking a sip of your wine.

That did not surprise him. He could only hope that this did truly help you in some way. “I’m glad you trust me enough, then.” He didn’t have many comforting words to give you.

“Of course, I trust you with my life…even if you do say ridiculous things.”

Setanta snickered. “It’s called flirting! Don’t pretend you don’t like it, little lady. I know how you feel most of the time.”

“Flirting can be a dangerous game, Child of Light. And you would flirt with any girl you spotted.” You told him with a small smile.

He pretended to be offended, scoffing at what you said, his grin deceiving him. “Absolutely untrue!”

“Is that so?”

“That’s right! You? You’re special.” The warm feeling in your chest rose up at this, making you smile a bit more. “And I’m not saying that because you’re naked right now.”

“If you truly thought that, you missed many opportunities.” Seeing the pout on his face made you chuckle.

Snickering once again, he looked at you. “Maybe, but I gained insight. I had a couple dreams, each more vivid than the last, all of your past.”

“Hmm? I thought I was the only one.” You blinked in surprise. “I hope the things you saw weren’t entirely embarrassing.”

“No, you’re as clean as a whistle. Though seeing through your eyes has made me want to protect you that much more.”

“I told you to lose the Master and Servant titles.” You replied to him, taking another sip of shitty wine. 

That’s when he gave you a light chuckle. “I’m not saying it as a formality of the war.”

You smiled at his words again, feeling soft. “Setanta, I….I said before that I didn’t have a wish for the grail. Same as you.” You added, thinking over your words and what they could mean. “But now, I know what I want to use that unlimited power for.”

“Hmm?”

Taking a deep breath, you believed you were ready enough to say this. His attention was yours alone, and under his red gaze, the pressure began to worry you more than you have felt in a long while. “I want to wish upon the Holy Grail…you.”

Blinking, your lancer came a little closer, unsure if he heard correctly. “Repeat that one more time.”

Now feeling much more awkward and on the spot, you took your last sip of wine before setting the glass down. “I want to wish for you to stay with me, Setanta, Child of Light. Here, now….but if you don’t want that, then I don’t have a wish.” Suddenly, you regretted saying everything now, wondering if that was something he had even wanted. Sure, he had continuously hinted on it, but what if you completely misread the situation?

All thoughts in you were silenced when you focused on the lancer now in front of you. He didn’t seem to remember you were barely covered by water and steam luckily, with his eyes focused on your own. Was he looking for any sign of deceit? It became increasingly difficult to stay relaxed as he continued to look at you like that. “Do you mean that? Do you know what you actually mean when you say that..?”

Metaphors were not your forte at this moment. Was he just asking why you wanted that? Did he not understand that you cared? Your nerves became shaky as you attempted to find the correct words. “I want you to stay with me as a person.” You blurted out, unsure. “I-I have grown rather attached...in a way I didn’t think possible. It…is called love in certain languages.” 

“Love.” He repeated, making you more nervous. He looked to you for another moment before leaning closer to your face. “I was beginning to think my own emotions were one-sided.” His hand gently cupped your cheek before he leaned in completely.

A gentle kiss, just long enough to have value and confirm his and your own desires. After a number of seconds, he backed away from you to let the two of you process what happened. Silence was far too long, and you chuckled awkwardly again. “I...it’s not healthy to sit in here for such a lengthy amount of time.”

“Right. Go ahead, I won’t look.” He said, turning away as if not wanting to ruin the moment. “I’ll be in after.”

“Okay.” You said calmly before escaping with your towel. Many thoughts ran in your head, your heart pounded, you were happy and sad and confused and maybe lost? Emotions leaked in all directions, but all led to a form of love in your heart. Dressed in your nightgown, you let your hair down and moved into the living room, pouring a shot to remind yourself that everything did in fact happen.

You knew he felt the same.

You initiated the feeling.

He initiated the kiss.

Mutual understanding. The world could suddenly be at peace in this moment.

He came back in, dressed and quietly sitting to your right at the kotatsu. “I meant it back there.” Setanta spoke, pouring his own shot.

“I did as well.” You took another, looking toward him. “I don’t mean to be weird, that just wasn’t the way I thought it would happen.” 

Your lancer smiled slightly. “In a way, it fit you. You’re difficult to read, and it wasn’t fair of me to tell you myself.”

“Hmm? It’s not fair of me to say anything, either. It puts pressure on you to win the grail for the both of us, because I’m a below third-rate mage who can do nothing but hide.” 

“No, it’s not pressure. Motivation more like; and now that I know you feel the same way, I can fight with a real purpose.” He took your hand with his free one and smiled. “I want to walk with you after this is over. I want to give you courage and comfort for time to come.”

“Quite romantic for a pervert.” You said with a small chuckle, taking another drink.

He followed suit, chuckling as well. “I kissed you while in the bath, but I still didn’t peek.”

“I suppose that’s true. You’re not so bad, I guess.” You teased, though flashed a smile when he brought your hand up to kiss it and cup his cheek. “You’re a lot softer now, too.”

“You’ve given me permission to dote on you as much as I want. Get used to it, little lady; I’m not going anywhere. You’re stuck with me now.” Setanta spoke again, giving you goosebumps and a light flutter in your chest.

“Perfect.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fluff fluff fluff...it makes me really soft actually that this happened kind of soon, but I'm quite happy with how it's gone naturally, it doesn't feel forced. I have....99 Word pages of chapters left to make, but adding it up, I have about 15 chapters left. It's crazy to think that I haven't even posted half of this yet. I honestly knew I'd finish this, but as I'm writing the first of 2/3 epilogues, I'm really happy with it. Thank you again for every kind comment, it makes me want to post more.  
> I also know this is a very fast update, as I updated 5 days ago, but I'm excited to announce the second 'OP and ED' for this story beginning this chapter.  
> OP 2: 'Relight' by Konomi Suzuki  
> ED 2: 'Devil's Whisper' by Kanon Wakeshima  
> .  
> .  
> .  
> These are on Spotify, I actually have a good anime playlist -> https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1qqkJbHM1BcwXiNICxhkL7?si=w9dzfnFYQwWuxw6MfF-dxg  
> And the songs I use for chapters has a good 84 followers -> https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1RE5i0wELD6svGd1G4Vpi8?si=pt8_ThYsT2SjDM-o632iFw
> 
> Also for anyone who made it this far, I have the Sims 4 and made Cu and several husbands/wives in it and it's chaos, he has the bro trait and lives with Diarmuid, Robin Hood, and Gawain. He works as a fisherman and goes to parties with his boys....a lot.


	12. 'Forward, Oneiroi' - The Blasting Company (OTGW)

Holding hands felt elementary. With the few relationships you did have, you were not the type to walk around hand in hand. However, since you and he proclaimed your feelings, it didn’t seem as childish. When he held your hand, it was as if there was no one else around, giving you peace of mind.

Nothing much changed between the two of you since that night, though there were definitely a couple kisses shared every so often, especially in public, which continued to catch you by surprise. Embarrassing, really, but the warmth you felt outshadowed the feelings you felt the people around you had. According to Setanta, he just wanted to make sure those you passed knew who you were with, which made you giggle when you heard.

The train was beautiful, a little different from the bullet train you took to Tokyo. This one was a little more roomy, giving you a little more comfort compared to the other crowded places you had traveled to. Rubbing your eyes, you sat in your seat beside your partner. Though only kisses were the only thing between you, boyfriend was a middle-school term to you, partner seeming much more accurate with the both of you without being too cheesy.

You were tired, the coffee you had that morning working miserably. “I can’t wait for this to be over, I’m exhausted.” You commented, looking to Setanta. “Must be nice not needing sleep.”

“To be fair, we stayed up a bit late last night. And hey, this trip is less than five hours. We’ll get to the hotel and rest, alright? Are the people on here making you tired? You know...mana stuff.” He asked, remembering the past travel times.

You shrugged at his question. “I can’t tell anymore. Could be travel, homesickness, or yeah, the mana issue. A rest sounds good, though.”

It took him a lot not to mention the dark circles that barely showed under your eyes. He hoped he could work the war to a quick close to get you the help and rest you needed. Then again, stress could easily factor in. If he lost, you would be alone and susceptible to other cruel masters. “You have my word. So for now, just relax.”

You checked your phone for the time once again before taking a deep breath. “I’ll do my best to shield my mage’s presence while we’re there. I don’t know if I’ll be able to sense any other mage, but I’ll do anything I can to help.”

“Alright. But I want you to remain hidden. Public places are fine, but at night, you need to stay inside.” His voice was serious as his hand squeezed yours, as to let you know he absolutely meant it.

Nodding, you grabbed your notepad from your bag. “Yes, I have a list of hotels I’ll switch around every other night. Do you think that’s good enough?”

He peeked over at your list, a good number of hotels written. “I think so. And remember, you can mentally call for me; I will be there in the blink of an eye.” You felt his hand run through your hair and smiled at the touch. “I don’t really have a plan yet.”

“Are all the other servants summoned?” You asked, curious. Your heart raced with anxiety, though you had absolutely no doubt in your partner’s abilities.

He closed his eyes in thought. “Hm...there’s only one left. As long as I don’t run into Saber too early, I’ll be fine.” Hearing him comment that seemed rather uncharacteristic of him, though it was easy to assume he said this to play it safe instead of how he would typically rush in.

“Saber class has an advantage, then. What a ghastly game of chess.” Scoffing, you leaned over so your head was against his arm comfortably. “Hey, Setanta?”

“Hm?” 

You traced patterns on the back of his hand as you pondered how you would ask your question. “In case...do you think you could teach me how to protect myself?”

“I thought you could throw a punch.” His voice was quick to answer, though it didn’t go in the direction you figured it would.

Sighing at his response, you continued. “I meant like a weapon. I can’t exactly rely on magic, and you obviously use one, so you’d be an excellent tutor.”

A chuckle escaped him, causing you to smile slightly, assuming he’d agree. “Flattery really does work, doesn’t it? You won’t need it, but I can teach you for an emergency. I won’t allow you to be in a situation where you need it. One of the rules is that we can’t be seen by any ordinary human, so I believe we can easily train in the daytime, maybe outside of the city.”

“I trust you.” You commented, looking out the window to see the plains passing by. That’s where you really wanted to be, out standing in the beautiful scenery, flowers on flowers fluttering in the gentle breeze. The thought reminded you of home, some place you long since missed.

The remainder of the trip was simple small talk, the usual teasing between the two of you, as it had been before. Though occasionally tears ran down your face from someone up several rows in front of you had sniffled in silent sobs, and you had actually told Setanta of the rising anger you felt, most likely from the man rumored to be yelling in the last train car. When he admitted to the slight emotional pull, you felt somewhat comfortable knowing it was not only you who had to go through it.

Again, he walked you off the train, his shirt gently being held onto by you to make sure you wouldn’t be separated. Walking through large crowds felt like drowning, all voices unclear and your vision blurry though you focused heavily on the blue haired man before you. It took most of your energy to just take steps, your mind’s fog clearing slowly as you approached the exit.

His arm reached back and wrapped around your waist, holding you to make sure you were able to keep up while crossing the road. “How are you feeling?” He asked once he made it several blocks away from the station.

Nodding, you sighed, displeased with having such a blur of a moment. “Much better now. Was the rest of the city that populated?”

Sitting you down on a bench in what you realized was a park, he kneeled down in front of you to look at your face. “No, I think it’s just that section of the city. Tomorrow I’ll see if there are less crowded locations. We should get going, though, it’s almost nightfall.”

Looking up to the sky, you noticed the mixture of orange and pink beginning to form, reminding you of your purpose here. You then agreed, standing up to grab your own bag, not even realizing he had been wheeling it for you while you escaped hell. You blinked when he scooted it away from you, holding it in his hand. “Hey, I can at least wheel my own bag!”

He grinned at your words, leaning toward your face. “You have something else to hold.” You blinked before looking down to see his hand, quickly understanding what he said. Hesitant, you looked away from him with a pink glint upon your cheeks. “Oh come on, don’t look away now! Let me see, I know you’re swooning!”

You couldn’t help but chuckle softly, unable to resist his coos toward you. Grabbing his hand, you walked with him toward your hotel, where you could camp for the night with room service. Of course, the hotel wasn’t extravagant with its more cozy atmosphere compared to the posh one multiple blocks away. “You’re...are you going out tonight?” You suddenly asked, curious as to what the situation here would be like with him. No doubt you’d miss his presence while you sat around probably watching movies.

He had just finished setting up his fish light on the table when you had asked him. He seemed to ponder the question for several moments before looking toward you again. “I think I’ll give it a day, learn the city tomorrow before making a move. What do you think?”

“Hmm? I think that’s fair. Maybe it’s an advantage to have one unsummoned servant. Or maybe it’s another advantage to let them destroy each other first. Though that could also be fateful.” You admitted, thinking it over out loud. 

“I’m not sure, either. Jeez, it’s difficult to strategize.” He admitted, untying his ponytail. 

“Oh right, aren’t you described as...in a polite way, I suppose feral is the correct term.” You asked, feeling somewhat awkward at the idea of calling him something as lowly as beastly. From the moments you knew him, he didn’t seem as rough around the edges as history tells.

He chuckled at that before rubbing your cheek with his thumb. “‘Feral’ does sound more threatening, but with more class. But yes, in dry words, like an animal. I’m not that embarrassed, since in the end, I always won.” His grin made you much more comfortable, making you smile and put your hand over his. “I just want to ensure our victory, so I don’t want to risk much.”

“I wish I could help you more, Child of Light.” You spoke softly, knowing well enough that you would just be in the way of the huge battles. “It gives me grief knowing I must sit here, reading poetry and awaiting your return.” 

His red eyes looked into yours before giving you a sweet kiss. “You have a wonderful vocabulary. Even if it is just from old films, it’s gentle and soft. I’d say you’re more of a romantic than me!”

You laughed at that, waving him off. “I longed for a blooming romance, what can I say?” You told him softly, closing your bedside curtains for safe measure. The thought of possible eyes peeking in unsettled you, but you felt protected with your lancer around. 

“Ho ho, want some privacy, do you?”

This made you roll your eyes, unimpressed at his daring attempt. “Darling, we were just speaking of sweet and gentle natures. Obscenities have no place in such an innocent conversation.” You still gave a gentle smile as you walked toward him, gently taking a strand of blue hair in your fingers. “You’re going to be in your blue uniform again, aren’t you? I’ll miss the comfortable, casual Setanta.” 

“I’ll be just like when you first summoned me, yes. But hey, we can still go out as normal, I don’t have to be in uniform the entire time.” He said, flipping up his collar with a goofy grin. “I look too good in this to stop!”

Wrapping your arms around him, you relaxed. His arms made their way around you in return, embracing your shorter form. “Will you be sleeping still? I know you enjoy it.”

“I’m a light sleeper, so I don’t see why not. I can’t let you be lonely all night, can I?” Hearing him chuckle comforted you, your face digging into him as you smiled. “As for you, you need to sleep. Your eyes could never dull, but they’re growing darker underneath.”

Letting him go with a sigh, you nodded. “I won’t refuse an order to sleep. As long as you come get me if anything happens. I’d rather you woke me up than waking up to nothing.”

“Yes, dear.” He teased before noticing a pile of papers on the table. “Hmm what’s all that?”

Looking at the papers, you sighed. “Just Itsuki’s things he left. Possibly places he had prepared for our arrival, though we didn’t use the hotel he provided. But there was a note, apparently the rules for the war are kept in place by someone. Perhaps we can go visit them tomorrow before you help me train.”

“You want to visit the Church?”

You turned to him, surprised. “You know about it?” 

He shrugged, sitting on the edge of the bed before laying back. “Ah, it’s a Holy Grail War thing, but it’s run by a Church, who is neutral on the war. They are the ones who make sure the war goes smoothly without problems. Masters who have lost their servants find sanctuary until it is over to ensure their safety. The Priest also delivers rewards or punishments to those acting out of turn.” He answered, simply knowing due to his status as a servant.

Setting down the paper, you flopped on your back beside him, staring up at the ceiling. “Is that so? Well maybe it’s a good idea to see if there’s anything else I should know about the war. Though...I’d rather you stay a bit away while I go.”

“Hah? That sounds the exact opposite of what you’d say! You don’t like churches, remember?” He asked, surprised at what you had asked of him. It didn’t sit well with him, letting you go off somewhere without him.

You shrugged. “I mean, I don’t want anyone else to see you. That includes the Priest...they make me uncomfortable, but I’ll do what I must if it gives us insight on the war.” You told him in an attempt to have him understand your stance. “Right now, I’ll take anything I can get.”

“Alright...but don’t spend long. Daylight shouldn’t be a problem, but I don’t trust anyone in this war. Even someone passing through.”

Stretching your arms, you agreed with a nod. “I agree.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tomorrow, I'm getting two older Cu Chulainn figures from Japan and I'm very excited! I'm still kind of debating whether or not to make the second and third epilogue, as one is quite long in my mind, let alone in words, while the other is somewhat similar to the other two. Either way, I'm very excited to continue this series, although I never know when exactly to upload a new chapter. Other than that, I'm working on more one-shots for my page as well as a Gintama story, since I've dropped hard into that series as I usually do.
> 
> Please enjoy this new chapter.


	13. 'Alrighty Aphrodite' by Peach Pit

“I’ll spend five minutes in there, don’t fret. Besides, we’ll be training after this so you can focus on the battle.” You told Setanta as he continued to pout. The woods behind you looked like some sort of trap, but with one servant still gone and the sun still up, there shouldn’t be too much problem. “I’ll let you know when I’m out.” 

He sighed as he looked down to you; it was clear he didn’t appreciate the rule of not being allowed into the Church. “Alright. I won’t be far, just scouting.” He spoke, his red eyes looking toward a taller building not far off. With one more glance, you turned and stepped into the woods. The silence of the trees leading to your destination creating anxiety, the idea of meeting the person who oversees the Holy Grail frightening you. You wanted to play yourself off as a fairly normal mage, one that would not be looked down upon by any of the others. If you looked weak, they could easily aim toward you.

After a few minutes, you noticed a path, just like Itsuki wrote in his letter. What if this Priest knew who you were already? Knew Cu Chulainn was your servant? Or what if he rejected you as a participant? Religious people seemed so welcoming, yet they could be quick to deny anything if their literature said anything different. It also popped into your mind that there may be another master there already, or a servant. Though, you or Setanta might have sensed them prior to your journey. Even so, you couldn’t deny the feeling of eyes watching every step you took.

A small clearing in the woods surprised you, though you reminded yourself this was no ordinary church. This one was much darker, though in a more sinister way compared to your beautiful Notre Dame. Actually, you really missed the building now that you thought of it. Pushing away mindless thoughts, you carefully entered, noticing immediately how dark it was despite the stained glass. With these windows, you wouldn’t think it would be kept this way, yet a mage’s church lacking any light or comfort wouldn’t shock you. 

You stopped just before you got to the middle of the room, looking toward a man’s back at the altar. Churches didn’t make you uncomfortable normally, but for some reason, your heart paced against your chest rapidly. “Good morning.” You called out, wondering if he didn’t hear you come in.

A moment of silence passed before a deep voice spoke. “Good morning. It’s rare to get visitors, especially at this hour.” You blinked at this, watching the man turn around, his gaze meeting your own. His eyes were a different type of dark, something about them read that you were in his territory. Whether you were welcome or not was to be seen. “What can I do for you, then?” 

You wondered if he knew you were a master, let alone a mage. Though the gentle smile on his face read as though he knew everything, it appeared fake, as if he looked down on you. Exactly as you figured mages would be. But what now? Did you need to tell him who you were? Was there a password? “Ah, I was just hoping you could give me some insight on what will take place in this city.” You spoke, doing your best to conceal your accent. The less information he could rip from you, the better.

Taking another look at you, he nodded. “I see, so you are a Master.” Relief washed over you as he didn’t appear to be judging you. “We seem to see new Masters outside of the main families each War, you must be your family’s champion.”

It took a good amount of restraint to not laugh or even smile. You stood straight, nodding calmly. “That’s correct.”

“Your family must not have given you much advice, then.” 

You shook your head. “They wanted me to find answers on my own. Though, I assumed you would be a good reference.” You bluffed, something so simple making you just as nervous as being placed in front of a hungry lion. If he knew Itsuki, the tables could easily turn in his favor.

“Yes, I believe I felt that way at your age.” Once again, relief comforted you as he seemed to relate to you in some way, making him seem more human. “I don’t have much information to give besides the basics: command seals, classes, simple things that wouldn’t be helpful to repeat to a mage who has been selected as a Master. However, a bit of advice that has worked before: Masters can battle against each other, just as Servants do. Without a living source of mana, Servants are out of the war along with their Master.”

Listening carefully, you nodded toward him. “Thank you.” It wasn’t bad advice, and you didn’t expect to get much from him.

“Ah, and as I’m sure you know, this church is a safe place, especially to Masters who have lost their Servants.” He said, slowly walking up toward you. The mana in the room seemed to shift with his steps, growing closer and closer until he was a few feet before you. He was quite skilled in some way, you figured. Must be from ruling over the War. “My name is Kotomine Kirei, your identity is sealed with me. I don’t share other masters’ information.”

Taking a step back, you gave another nod in agreement. “Thank you, Kotomine. I will be off to formulate a strategy. Good day.”

“Good day, young lady.” 

You could hear him say his goodbyes as you attempted not to rush out, your nerves shaken. Even after you closed the large door behind you, you did not stop, simply continuing toward the public road where normal people resided. You mentally called for Setanta, letting him know you were fine. Upon seeing him wait for you, a sigh of relief escaped you. 

“How’d it go?” He asked, hand brushing off a leaf that fell in your hair as he waited for an answer. You seemed okay, which sat well with him.

Starting to lead the walk away, you thought about your conversation with Kirei again. “He didn’t seem to know me at all, speaking down to me as if I were a child…I don’t think he saw me as a mage, which might work in our favor. I also sensed great magical energy in him, so I should be able to locate if Masters are nearby.” 

He walked beside you, putting his arm around your shoulders. “What an impressive girl, deceiving a religious icon. My accomplishments weren’t as impressive, just looked around town. It’s just an average city, nothing special. It’s only crowded in a few public areas, so we’ll use those as scapegoats when we need.” 

Another sigh of relief came over you, your anxiety lessening at the idea of things going in your favor. “Perfect. Oh, I did learn one more thing from the priest.” You spoke up, walking toward a park. “Masters might be an advantage. Getting rid of them would get rid of their Servant. But I know that’s not exactly your style.”

His blue brows furrowed at what you were saying, as if trying to understanding what you hinted at. “Skipping the knight to kill the King, huh? Not bad, but that sounds too easy.”

“Well…” You started, though Setanta stopped before moving to stand in front of you, causing you to bite your bottom lip as you awaited his displeased response. 

“I said I’d teach you defense, not how to kill mages.” He said, pinching your cheek as he scolded you.

Pushing his hand off and rubbing your cheek, you huffed. “I’m just saying that I could help. I want to win this just as much as you do.” 

Sighing, the lancer ran a hand through his hair in thought. “These damn mages know how to use their power, they won’t go easy. Besides…you’re going to kill someone?” Red eyes looked into your own, doubting that you could do something as dark as take a life.

True, it sounded so much easier to say or watch in fictional movies, but desperation made people say stupid things. You weren’t excluded from any human morals. “I just feel useless being told to sit around and wait for you to return. But you’re right, I can’t do anything on my own.” You said, stepping around him and continuing in the direction he had been leading.

“Don’t make it sound like that, it’s just a precaution.” He said, catching up to you. “I’ll still teach you a little, so you’ve got that!” Setanta noticed you didn’t look impressed, making him sigh once again. “I never thought you’d get frustrated over not letting you try to kill people. That priest didn’t do anything to you, did he?” He combed his fingers through your hair at this, messing with you on purpose now.

You knew he was joking to set a lighter air, though you still pondered over his last question. “He was odd. I wasn’t comfortable there, like something was wrong. And the way he said Masters could battle one another did not sit well with me, either. Mages are repulsive people, truly.”

“Hmm, well you never have to see him again. You have me to take all your attention!” His wide grin was contagious, causing the smile to form on your face. It wasn’t fair that he was just…good.

“You’re so needy!” You chuckled, bumping your elbow into his side before facing the park ahead. “Isn’t this a little too public?” Who knew what eyes wondered in this town, maybe nowhere was safe in town.

“We’re not there yet, keep on moving.” His nodded toward the edge of the park, where what seemed to be more woods. Odd town. Following him into the trees and leaves, you stopped when he did, curious as to what he was thinking. “Hold on.” Before you could question him, his arm wrapped around under your hips, pulling you up over his shoulder. 

Your stomach must have done a flip, a gasp escaping your lips when your view suddenly turned from leaves and dirt to the treetops in seconds. The whole thing was so fast, causing you to hold onto his shirt, that being the only thing available to you. No other sound came from you as the shock still hadn’t subsided. It was only worse when gravity finally started pulling you both to the ground, leaving you unable to close your eyes as the ground came closer. The landing wasn’t bad, but he jumped again, only perhaps not as high.

Finally when he stopped, he set you down carefully, though you still fell back on your bottom. Seeing this, your Lancer blinked his pretty red eyes, leaning over you. “Hmm?”

“I would’ve hoped for a better warning to say the least. Or at least a warning!” You finally gasped out, fixing your wrinkling shirt. Not the experience you had expected.

Suddenly he laughed, which only made you frown toward him, making you wonder if it was on purpose that he said nothing. He helped you stand up and attempted to fix your hair. “Sorry, is that better?”

Looking up at him with a pout on your face, you wiped the dirt off your skirt before pulling on his cheeks. “I thought you were a knight, not a degenerate! I bet history books didn’t mention a thing about being a pervert!”

He held your hands, the grin on his face telling you he was deserving of this punishment. “Come on, I didn’t touch anything!” Finally releasing him, you crossed your arms, checking to make sure your backpack was okay. No matter what he said, you knew he had your skirt close to his face during the ordeal.

“I read that you held Queen Medb as your prisoner, yet you still treated her as royalty.” You huffed as you grabbed a scrunchie and threw your hair up. 

Looking over to him again, you noticed Cu’s expression of…disgust, perhaps? Maybe it wasn’t a good idea to bring it up. “Don’t insult yourself by comparing her to you. But fine, I’ll be more knightly or whatever.” He waved his hand casually as you sighed. “Now I’m worried you’ve jinxed the war and she’ll be summoned. If I had to guess, probably a Rider class.”

“What makes you say- oh, clever.” You giggled slightly at the joke, knowing Medb’s tale enough. “Is this place far out enough? I wasn’t paying attention to how far we ventured.” The area was a wide open space, though the taller buildings from Fuyuki couldn’t be seen. It must have been empty farmland that was left forgotten during the current cold months.

“We’re a good bit away, and we won’t be doing enough to attract other servants. Now, what is your weapon of choice?” He asked you, interested. Weapons were clearly a favorite topic of his, not a big surprise. 

Looking around, you found a large patch of wild daffodils. “Actually, my first fencing lesson was at the young age of nine. I was absolutely obsessed with watching daring swordfights, I wanted to grow up to be a fine swordswoman and defeat bandits and win the heart of a charming prince! Now that I recall, that was the year after I had wanted to be a pirate and two years prior to wanting to be a gown designer. But I took fencing on and off for several years, and that’s what I’ll showcase for you today, Cu Chulainn.”

“The more you speak, the more I seem to like you. Please, continue.” He said proudly as he followed you toward the patch of flowers. He stopped a few feet away from you, catching himself checking out the small flowers littering the ground. “Strange place to summon a weapon.” 

Plucking one, you smiled. “Daffodils are often perceived as a ‘new beginning.’ The birth of a new blade, in this case.” You took a deep breath before using the same technique as weeks ago, pulling the petals and pushing them down, forming them into a beautiful white hilt with yellow embellishments. Next, you pinched the tip of the stem before sliding your fingers opposite to the new hilt, revealing a lengthy, but thin blade. 

“That’s amazing….” Setanta commented as you passed it to him to examine. He bounced it in his hand for a bit before passing it back to you. “This from a little flower? It’s light weight, too.”

“It’s not as delicate as it used to be, but it will last for a good amount of time. I could probably make it stronger, if I knew how.” You commented, rubbing the small amount of blood from your fingers onto your leg. 

“Only a small amount of mana produces this? Wow, imagine what you could do if things were different.” He seemed to realize what he said, as he went quiet right after. 

Shrugging, you moved away from the patch, opting not to show frustration. “I actually tried doing things like this to help; I just hold too much mana...but enough about that, let me reminisce in my glory days of being a teen in fencing class.” You spoke, pushing off your light jacket and placing it on your bag.

“Alright, I’m going to go slow for you to get used to it.” The mesmerizing red lance sparkled as soon as it appeared, the sunlight hitting it beautifully. Even if he wasn’t in his blue suit, he still could easily come across as a threat. You stood up straight as you defensively held your blade as you remembered. Your teacher had been strict, his directions still remaining in your head to this day. “Ready?” 

After you took a deep breath, you nodded, watching his hands and wrists to see where he tried to aim. He moved slowly enough as to not hurt you if you did fail, so it was relatively easy to push his lance away with your sword. He came right back at the same speed again and again, eventually speeding up each time. His eyes had a fire to them, a spark of excitement could be seen through red irises, igniting his love to clash weapons. As far as you were concerned, you still held a deep trust in him, knowing he would not allow himself to harm you, even by accident. You also knew he could not be hurt so easily, leaving you more relaxed than you would’ve thought you should be. 

However, seeing him twirl his lance caught you off guard, blocking in now the wrong direction. His lance stopped before you, leaving you to sigh. “Was I truly impressive enough to make you use your tricks?” You asked as he twirled his lance away from you now. He was talented, it was clear as to why he was even a candidate for the Holy Grail.

With a snicker, Setanta ruffled your hair, something he obviously did as a tease at this point. “Surprises just don’t stop coming from you, even when we’re so close. But servants are much faster, and who knows what mages do.”

You missed his praises of you as soon as he mentioned anyone else. “Probably not using swords, right?” Frustration made you huff to yourself, not wanting this to be a waste of your time. “I’m sure that whatever mana I threw into this sword can deflect spells or something. If that’s even what I could call it.”

“It’s definitely something, at least. If you can even wound them, you have a good chance of being the winner.” He brought up a good point. Just holding out even would be something of an advantage, the thought alone brought your motivation back with a grin. “Hah? Back for more already? My sweet talk really does work.”

His tease made you chuckle, your eyes focused on his. “I won’t stand down easily, Setanta. I want to win this war, and I won’t be stopped!” The wind blew, though the beautiful scenery for once would not distract you from your task. “Strengthening my skill will allow me to be of use to us in the end, I’ll remain true to that.” 

Cu Chulainn stood, somewhat surprised at what you said. After a second, he gave you a grin as he brought himself to a battle-ready position. “Quite gutsy for a little lady, I like that.” Once again, he started out much slower and became faster with his movements. “Also remember to move when you need to, don’t let yourself be worn out standing in the same spot.”

Following his instruction, you took a step forward, pushing his lance with your blade back. Focused on his movements, you focused once again on his wrists, though you kept your frustration from showing. A poker face was absolutely necessary, a weakness that Setanta did not possess, as he lived for the fight, strategy hardly required with his skills. You were only frustrated with his skills, knowing you weren’t able to disarm him. Maybe a normal mage or person, but certainly not a skilled weaponist. Due to this, you spent your focus on pushing him back.

“Now I’m going to loosen my grip. Try to remove my weapon from me.” He spoke, his eyes looking into yours. Did he sense your frustration, or did he know why, too? Pushing that aside, you waited for an opportunity before clashing your sword with the red lance and stepping closer. You turned your wrist and flicked it, watching the lance drop a few feet away. Seeing the shine of the red weapon on the ground now, you dropped to your knees, panting. The thin sword in your hand felt as though it was glued on, though you didn’t care at the moment. “What a lady.”

With one last huff, you looked at Setanta, who was now crouched in front of you, pushing the hair that escaped your bun out of your face. He had a proud grin on his face, one filling you with warmth, praising you for your efforts. “You put on quite a show. Maybe after disarming, end your opponent, but for the first time I’ve seen you with a weapon, you have talent.”

Unable to hide the bright smile on your face, you dropped your sword finally before letting your hair out of your scrunchie. “You’re not so bad either, coach.” 

Laughing, the lancer helped you stand up. “Is that so? Well thank you.” When you stood up, his arm wrapped over your shoulder as he let both weapons vanish out of sight. Being with him like this felt so right somehow. Though it could be the romantic in you, you felt at ease and comfortable in his grip.

Nothing could be better.

“The sun will set in a couple hours, let’s move.” He spoke, though he didn’t scoop you up as before. Instead he grinned and leaned into your face. “May I pick you up? Ah, princess?” 

You couldn’t help but laugh at the last bit, giving him a nod. “You only had to ask…but since you called me a princess, I’ll swoon anyway.” You continued to laugh as he pinched your cheeks, knowing he was probably a bit embarrassed from saying something so cheesy. 

He scooped you up, giving you a new angle of the world. You had been close to him before, so you weren’t exactly sure why you felt so light, but you still did. Maybe it was just a silly romantic thing it reminded you of. A little old fashioned.

When he did jump, it wasn’t as scary as before. Your stomach did do a flip, but it was more of the feeling you had while on a swing. The way you unnaturally were lifted into the air, followed by the rush of gravity bringing you and him back down to the ground. While in the air, the scenery looked so much longer, as if you were looking from a tall balcony. The blues forming into yellows and orange in the evening sky were absolutely radiant, a dream to see. On top of that, the one who made this happen was strong enough to let you witness this in his arms. You smiled to yourself, able to hear his heart beat softly.

Unfortunately, the ride back is always shorter than the original ride. This remains true, even for a two minute travel. Though you could admit the ground was nice to stand on, as if being on roller skates for an extended period of time. Thinking it over, you realized everything reminded you of something, feelings relate to others in every which way. 

You were such a softie with this heart of yours.

“Sushi for dinner? We can bring it to the hotel and watch an old movie until it’s time.” You said, hoping to stay with him a little longer before he had to be serious.

The idea made him throw his fist in the air. “Finally! I’ve been wanting to get sushi again! I wonder if it’s better here!”

You chuckled as you walked with him, hoping to run into one of the many restaurants near the hotel. “We’ll see. I think we’re closer to the ocean here, so maybe. Though I’d have to-“

His hand in front of you made you go silent. This was definitely a protective action, making you look around. You didn’t realize how empty this road was, yet you didn’t quite feel unsafe. He must have more reach in sensing others of his kind. You waited for him to speak, to tell you they were gone. Had you already been caught as a Master?

“Go on to the hotel.” Setanta spoke, somewhat disappointing to you. “They’re a ways off from here, opposite of where you need to go.”

You knew not to stand in his way, but you couldn’t help but want him to leave them be for now. Or maybe he felt positive about an early fight. “Alright. Do what you need to…just don’t get hurt. Tell me when you’re done, I’ll order in.” Patting his arm, you backed up to let him go.

In seconds, his casual outfit turned into the blue armor you first met him in. The feeling of nostalgia made you turn around and onto the next block, walking toward the hotel. 

The war begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good evening all, here's another chapter.  
> Ah, my FGO GSSR pull went really well and I managed to get my goal: Merlin! So he's now at my Chaldea along with the multiple other servants I managed to pull while strolling through - including Saber Alter on Christmas Eve and Ibaraki Douji on Christmas. Other than that, Gintama has taken up most of my time, and for being someone who doesn't care for Shounen, it's pretty amazing.  
> Anyway, I'm happy to post this chapter and I'll update in a week or two.
> 
> Thank you,


	14. 'Soldier, Poet, King' - The Oh Hellos

You sat silently as you processed what your servant told you. You sipped at your coffee, coming to a conclusion. It was already difficult sleeping the previous night without Cu Chulainn telling you anything. Though you could easily admit it didn’t matter to you now, as he came back unharmed and slept peacefully until morning. 

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, I thought you already knew or that priest told you.” He spoke, back to casual wear at the other side of the table. “But I did find out who he was, if that makes up for it.”

“Don’t apologize. You were only following the rules of inhuman mages. I’d say, disposing of non-mages who witness anything…what a cruel punishment. What worries me, though….is how did he survive? Mages aren’t exactly cockroaches. On top of that, he summoned Saber, the quote ‘most powerful’ class?”

You didn’t mean to add to his frustration, not at all. You simply were trying to understand what you did know. All you could currently do to assist him was to think through any questionable encounters. “I was positive he was dying when I left him. Saber didn’t seem that strong…or maybe it’s just his weak mana.”

“How do you feel about Archer?” You asked, not too unhappy with the turnout so far.

Sighing, your lancer let his hair loose. “I don’t like him. Not sure what it is, but I don’t like him.” 

You gave a nod before setting your mug on the counter. It wasn’t so bad, right? He knew two out of six other servants, and he came back just fine. “We’re still going to win. You have a plethora of mana with me, and you’re incredible with that spear of yours.”

A grin sat on his face, pleased with the praise he was receiving from you. “Glad you know that, I don’t have doubts, either. Are you sure you’re okay with moving hotels tomorrow?”

You stepped toward him, where he still sat and stood behind him, wrapping your arms around him in a hug. You rested your cheek on the top of his head as you closed your eyes. “It’s not a big deal, just a precaution. It might help you determine where the others are located.”

“Won’t they find us here, then?” He asked, letting you cuddle him.

“I’ve set up a barrier, nobody should be finding us while we’re in a hotel room. Finally, I’m using some of this mana.” You admitted, feeling a bit better today. It didn’t stop you from taking mana from those you passed or sometimes just seen, but it was manageable now that he began to fight.

“That’s something at least. How are you other than that? Not sick or anything, right?” The question surprised you somewhat, wondering how much he knew about you when you didn’t close the gap between you and him. Were you sick? Why ask that when you didn’t think you did? Shaking your head, he simply shrugged. “You just look tired is all.”

“Oh, sorry. I shouldn’t, but I’m just homesick I guess.” You responded quietly, a little embarrassed his cause of worry was caused by you not being in your natural habitat. “Do you think we could practice again today?”

Standing up straight, you noticed he seemed to think about it as he stared at the natural dust on the table. “If you want to, then we can.” He didn’t want to keep you in here the whole time, and it was clear you needed to do something during the day at least. Keeping your sanity intact would be extremely beneficial.

“I’m grateful.” You spoke, hoping that you weren’t a nuisance, training one person to fight before risking his life later. He should be enjoying what is available, no doubt. However, you pushed away the guilt, the idea of him remaining here after this made it up. He was helping you so you wouldn’t be dead weight, just an accessory left at home that he wouldn’t go back for.

Really, what was wrong with you?

Setanta was just as quiet, as if in thought. With your new worrying tendencies, you could easily assume there was something else going on with him. Maybe he was just in a silent peace, which you wouldn’t blame him for. “No, it’s good for you to learn. Also, it’s amusing to watch you with a weapon. I could argue it’s even an attractive look on you.”

Chuckling at that, you pat his arm gently before finishing getting ready. “You should’ve seen me in fencing class. I tried every film move I could think of, so I screwed up everything. Eventually, I actually became decent when the new fencing instructor came along. My mother had even suggested taking ballet classes in between to help my balance. I didn’t think my childhood was so busy until I actually started talking about it as an adult. Of course, private school lets you get away with too many nonessential classes.”

“Isn’t that a very prestigious type of place?” He asked, watching you fix your hair. “You don’t seem very bratty to me. Maybe a little bit of a princess at times, but not that bad.”

You laughed at that, the memories you did have at the small academy being barely a blur. “Back then, I wished it was like high society. Sure, it was on the more prestigious side, but it was just a small, old fashioned school. Not many people lived so far out in the country, but I did what I needed. Of course, I may as well have been removed from sewing and cooking classes. They said I didn’t excel as I should be…isn’t that silly? I couldn’t cook for a five star restaurant in middle school, what can I say?”

His snicker at the idea made you smile. You enjoyed talking to him, even if it was little things that had no matter any longer. “It is a prestigious school if they’re kicking you out of classes. I didn’t think there were any schools like that now.”

“My mother went there when she was young. She had hoped it would inspire me as it had her, though I suppose it went in the opposite direction. Artistry is a talent as well, Child of Light. And even if I did not possess the same skills as she did, she was so proud. She and Father both doted on me so I would end with a beautiful lifestyle and hopefully a personality to match. It was as if their true child was myself, and they never made me doubt that.” 

Setanta stood and leaned his side on the wall beside the mirror you were using. “I know I say this enough, but I like the way you speak.” Smiling toward him, you leaned your forehead to his chest with content. “You’re small, too.” He chuckled, wrapping his arms around you in a warm hug.

“And you’re tall.” You commented with a chuckle. It amazed you how he liked just minor things about you, it was simply a small gesture that must have inspired the good romantic stories. “Come on, we should get moving. I also want to go to the marketplace for a bit!”

“Certainly, little lady.” He agreed easily, just content to see you seem more active than before. Was he this worrisome usually? Perhaps it was your own worries that snuck their way into his peace of mind. As he walked through the hotel with you, thoughts of his own dreams started to arise. He had known that Masters will most likely have dreams of their servant’s past, though he didn’t know it could be reversed. 

Though he remembered barely a thing, he could easily think of that scenery. Judging by how well he did recall it, you always heavily focused on the places you visited. A breath of fresh air it was to witness the golden beauty of sunrise; how intoxicating the flowers looked. Beautiful paths of trees had made him forget what timeline he was in, almost as if he were home in his previous life. It felt fast, but not tiring as if he were running. He would’ve thought you were on a bike until he saw a pond below him, the water cool to the touch as it rippled calmly. He barely saw the academy you told him about, though when he did, it appeared to be just a rather old building of brick and stone. 

What was odd, however, was how when you spoke to people, the faces were blurred. Those memories never lasted long, though. The watered down voices coming from blurred faces were gone within seconds and he was back to beautiful sceneries. Did you block them out purposefully? Surely you had no way of doing so, but he also couldn’t complain about seeing the world through your eyes.

“You’ve been eerily quiet, Child of Light.” Your voice brought him back to reality before he gave you his usual cheeky grin. “Hmm? Are you up to something?”

“Hah? Come on, I was just thinking about how cool it would be if there was a festival while we were here!” A smooth lie, a pamphlet he saw in the lobby before gave him the idea. He didn’t want to mention the dreams again yet, he just wanted to enjoy them for now.  
You chuckled. “They probably had one at New Years. It’s a shame we missed it, truly.” Festivities in Japan were so much more unique than what you had in the United States. Even back home in France the events didn’t feel as traditional or with historic value as Japan’s events. Maybe this could push you to get out a little further in the world someday, even just once.

Relaxed that he could keep his thoughts to himself, he gently played with a strand of your hair with a cocky grin you knew well. “I saw that people go to those as dates. Isn’t that an idea!”

Maybe when you first met him this would make you too embarrassed to speak, dates being something you were not used to. However, since your theories of admiration for him were returned, it felt more natural for him to speak to you this way. Perhaps it was your easy-going nature that kept you at peace, or most likely the effect of suppressing your emotions to keep you functioning as a normal human. More than anything, your heart leaped at his casual flirt, causing you to smile freely. “Reading up on modern dating, hmm?” You teased in return, excited deep down that you had someone like him to speak to you the way he did, doting and kind.

Seeing the lancer shrug, his grin continued to sit on his face. “In my spare time, yes. There is more time to be spent when you don’t have to sleep.” 

“I suppose there is, isn’t there?” You spoke, now knowing that he doesn’t rest as he did before. Sure, he didn’t need it, but maybe the comfort you had was nice. Just having him around was good enough for you, though it was correct you wanted to be selfish.   
“Must be nice to not require certain necessities.”

“It’s made me miss living in a way. Sure, there aren’t enemies I can just fight any day, but I do enjoy simple things in this new world.” Setanta told you honestly, with no hesitation. It was genuine that he wanted to live in this time rather than disappear for however long. 

You tugged on his sleeve as you walked with him. “I’ll do everything in my power to help us win. I want to help you live, and I want to do that with you.”

He stopped, causing you to as well. Taking your chin with his fingers, he lifted your chin up to give you a famous kiss. It couldn’t last long, with the people nearby simply staring as if they’ve never seen something so beautiful. Linking your arm with his, you rested your head slightly on his arm as you walked. It was easy to forget what your goals were when he stood beside you, something so small as this just tugged at your heartstrings.

There wasn’t much to be embarrassed over when you actually knew he would pick you up in a protective carry and bring you back to the spot from before. As he did yesterday, he gave you a few moments to balance yourself as he materialized your thin sword for you. “How long does this last again?” He asked curiously, checking it over once again.

“I don’t quite have an answer for that. Hm…I would take another flower or two in case, but it would most likely wilt before I could use it.” You admitted, making the lancer sigh. “If I had more faith in mages, maybe I could be talented.”

A pat on your head made you look back up at him. He simply gave you a slight smile before motioning to a brown patch of dirt several yards away. You watched as he kneeled down and placed something on the ground. Whatever it was, your mouth fell slightly open when that small piece glowed and sped toward the patch with a light flash. The patch suddenly broke out into a small hole, surprising you. “I might not have the same circuits as you, but maybe I can help.”

“I didn’t know you were a mage!” You suddenly said, amazed to see magic that was not your own. You didn’t realize he could do magic, history didn’t really tell you that.

Giving you a sly grin, he shrugged. “I’m not a magic type of guy, though I do know how to use rune magic. I can at least try to help you if possible.” He said cooly, quickly making you nod excitedly. 

“You’re definitely the only mage I’ve ever liked. Do you really not like magic?” 

“I like it just as much as you.” He commented, leaving it at that. You nodded in agreement as you followed his hand motion to sit down across from him. Setanta’s lesson definitely did not help you too much, as he was only with rune magic information. You were still amazed at ancient magic, taking in every word he told you, even if you couldn’t use it.

“Setanta, you said that you use mana in those stones, but how?” You asked, hopeful that he could help you.

Taking out another stone, he held it out so you could see. “I just will it, it’s something I’ve always been able to do without a thought…almost like speaking when you’re still small.” You could tell he had tried to avoid the question, though he thought about it for another second. “If you could tell what had mana, you could use it in the same way, perhaps. Rocks and dirt don’t have mana on their own.”

Your shoulders dropped slightly in disappointment, though if he knew in the beginning, he wouldn’t let you be the way you were now. Why couldn’t you increase your output into something stronger? Why did you actually need magic now? Anxiousness showered over you unexpectedly and harshly, making you gently reach up to your heart slowly.

“How do you do that?” He asked, causing you to stop. “I’ve never known anyone to put as much mana into themselves and survive without repercussion. And what made you start doing that?” 

“I….well to be blunt, extreme depression and anxiety grouped against me until I could see only darkness. My heart ached terribly, I almost left for the hospital. Though as soon as I put a hand over it, the pain subsided. Going through that again scares me enough to continue relaxing my heart when I feel it’s necessary. I do it the same way as making that blade, though I’ve never been able to do anything different.”

“How often do you do this?” He crossed his arms, paying attention to you.

The question made you nervous, the anxiety not having subsided since he started asking you these questions. “It started as maybe once in a few weeks, but now it’s nearly every day for the past month.” You looked down, unsure how to even face him as you continued to be helpless and worry him. You were sure it dragged him down, maybe causing him to be burdened by your own problems that he could feel through you. What if your insecurities fell onto him and caused him to lose a battle? What would you do if that killed him? 

That would put on his blood on your hands, wouldn’t it?

“Relax!” He suddenly called out, reaching out for your shoulders. When you stopped to look at him, you almost felt sick. You didn’t understand what had happened, your mind too focused on anything else. “It’s okay, you’re okay.” He said smoothly, his red eyes holding worry. 

“You can feel it, can’t you?” You said quietly, rubbing your now tired eyes. “I promise this is not typical, I don’t know what is wrong with me.”

His hands dropped from your shoulders down to your hands, noticing how shaky they were. “Nothing is wrong with you, you were never taught. I do think that you are going to cause irreversible damage to yourself. In all honesty, I’m surprised you’ve managed to live this long alone. Do what you need to, but if it hurts you as bad as you say it did in the beginning…I’ll take you out of this damn city to get help.”

Looking down at your hand, you brought it to your chest before feeling lighter. The sudden rush made you stumble, but Setanta quickly caught you. “I’m sorry to drag you down.”

Sighing once again, he cupped your now rosy cheek. “Did you already forget that I like you more than I should? It’s also my duty to bring you the grail, and I don’t plan on failing you.”

Giving him a small smile, you leaned into his hand, trying to gather your strength for training…if he let you anymore. “I have zero doubts about the Child of Light.” 

“Keep believing in me, you’ll see.” He grinned at this, plucking the flower that sat beside him and placing it in your hair gently. “Lovely, quite fitting.”

Tired eyes met red ones once again, unable to look away for even a moment in a beautiful engagement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FGO has been super kind to me, giving me Chloe (event), Miyu, and Nursery Rhyme...though I really can't stand Prisma Illya. Please enjoy this chapter, it's already been almost 3 weeks since my last update, but I don't plan on not updating this until it's end. Thank you again for reading.


	15. 'Medusa' - Kailee Morgue

Intense magic had never passed you before. Even when you met with Kirei, the priest, you had never sensed so much mana. You were just glad Cu managed to take you away from the battle between berserker, saber, and archer just a couple nights ago. Though you didn’t catch a glimpse of them, you were sure you were safe from their view. Your own servant stayed with you, somewhat in hope that at least one would be gone before morning, save him the effort.

Why was it that you trembled at the monstrous power of that master and servant? Maybe you were small compared to what you felt came from the Berserker specifically. By the way Cu didn’t describe him to you, you assumed he was truly a terrifying sight. Then again, he also treated you like a baby at times.

Pushing others aside, you looked at the flower Setanta gave you, now sitting in a sunlit spot on the table in front of the window. You set down the bag you were currently packing to pick up the white flower, inspecting it. You could turn this into a blade alone, so maybe you could do something else to keep it ready for when you needed a new one. 

An experiment couldn’t hurt, right? You checked to see if Setanta had returned from the convenience store before continuing. Honestly, he wouldn’t want you trying too much when it came to magic, especially when it involved your body. Seeing as he was gone, you pulled up your sleeve and put the flower over your inner forearm. 

Taking a deep breath, you slapped your hand over the flower. You gasped at the pain, though it lasted for only several seconds before you could take a look at what you had hoped to accomplish. A beautiful tattoo of the flower was imprinted where you had placed it, though the surrounding flesh was a pained pink color, similar to your own tattoo when you had it done.

“I’m back! Almost packed?” Setanta asked, holding the plastic bag. “What’s that?” 

Watching him approach you, you grew somewhat nervous at what he would say. When it came to magic, he seemed unhappy more than impressed. “I figured I’d need a backup…since summoning magic hasn’t been easy to learn.”

“Look at that, what a sneaky trick!” His grin relieved you, giving you a small boost of confidence, motivation to keep working on small bits of magic. “It looks so natural, too. It looked painful, will it hurt retrieving it?”

Giving him an awkward chuckle, you tugged your sleeve back down. “It was no snake bite, but it wasn’t a pinch, either. I’ll find out, I suppose.” The thought of intense pain shook your nerves, but your realistic side told you that it would hurt no more than what it took to press it into your arm. “Why can’t I create new things? I can only transform little things.”

Cu leaned in to kiss your forehead before grabbing one of your bags. “You just have to start out small. Magic is learned by little kids, and you basically were pushed ahead without learning the basics. You seem to learn best by experience, so just don’t push yourself too much.”

Nodding, you gave him a smile before grabbing your other bag. “Did you pack my coffee mug? I didn’t see it this morning.”

“Hmm? I don’t think so, maybe housekeeping took it by mistake.” He told you, leading you out the door and into the hallway. “It was white, so it probably looked like one of the hotels.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right. It’s just frustrating that I can’t go to a hotel without losing something. Maybe this time I’ll get a cute mug so they won’t take it.” You huffed, walking beside him. 

Setanta gave you a chuckle at your little frustration, though it didn’t bother you. If someone took his fish light or pole, he’d throw an intense fit, too. “I didn’t think you were the type to get upset about something like that.” 

“Can we not discuss it? I don’t wish to believe I am a stranger to even myself.” You spilled rather quickly, nervousness overcoming you rather suddenly. You seemed to be moody all of a sudden, leaving you to be quiet afterward to prevent something said you’d regret.

“If that’s what you want.” The walk out of the hotel was silent after the moment, awkwardness halting anything interesting you or he had to say. Maybe you both were running out of conversation since you spent most of your time together now. He certainly wasn’t bored with you, but it seemed as if every conversation led to a dead end. Nothing could ever change the way you felt, but what you did feel was pushed and pulled in your mind and heart, almost as if you were on a difficult medication.

You could apologize to him. He would definitely be okay, even without an apology. It wasn’t as if you snapped at him, but he wanted to give you space and not repeat his worries. Every time he did mention it, you felt fear and guilt…which in turn made him the same way. 

It just wasn’t fair to him that he had to suffer for what basic knowledge you lacked.

“This one? It’s much smaller.” Lancer spoke up as he followed you through the front door. 

Gathering the key from the front desk, you motioned for him to follow. “I’m trying not to make any patterns. I also feel less claustrophobic the farther we are.” It was only one set of stairs to the second floor, where you followed the signs to your room number. Tracing your finger around the door, you sighed. “I’m confident in this barrier spell. Itsuki taught me it first, to protect myself.”

“That’s a surprise…but good.” Curious red eyes looked around the room as you unpacked. 

Sighing, you took a seat on the bed. “Do you think his parents knew about his plans? Or if they live here?” The thought had been unwelcomed, but still lingered on your mind. What if you passed them while here already? What if they were here at all? 

Setanta looked away from the window and sat beside you before laying on his back on the bed. “If they knew he was getting into a war for his family, they probably wouldn’t agree with sending you. Does it bother you?” He asked, obviously finding no problem.

Laying back beside him comfortably, you shrugged. “I suppose it doesn’t affect me, no. I don’t know how I feel about it, I guess. I know that’s confusing, just forget I asked.” You said quietly, looking up at the plain ceiling.

He turned onto his side so he could face you now. “I don’t think it’s weird. It’s natural for anyone to be curious about where they came from.”

“I think you’re right…I just don’t want to be curious. I spent years pretending they didn’t exist, but just being here just makes me realize how different I would be if I wasn’t given away. Certainly I shouldn’t be interested in disgusting people like them.”

“You’re happy now, right?” He suddenly asked, which you easily gave a nod in response. “Then you don’t need to worry about people like them.”  
A small smile spread across your face as you knew he was right. “Can we do something absolutely distracting now? The last thing I want is to be thinking about anything anymore.” 

Setanta stood up and leaned to grab your hands and pull you up. This made his hair seem much longer from your point of view, which you didn’t find as attractive on other males before. As he pulled you up, you couldn’t resist once again looking him over, just wondering how you came to be in his presence. “Like what you see?” You couldn’t help but laugh at how he sort of ruined the moment with that goofy grin of his. 

“Perhaps. Come, let’s get out of here for a bit.” You ran three fingers through his long blue hair before moving toward the door, at peace once again even as you left your safe space. The air seemed fresher when you stood outside, leaving you to hope this happiness would last longer than any other mood.

This side of town certainly was much nicer and less populated, giving you a good amount of breathing room. You used the time you did have to venture through various stores, conversing with Cu Chulainn about different topics, neither of you bothering to mention the dark thoughts you both had. 

Peaceful. 

Tranquil. 

Calm.

Frustration.

Anger.

Agitation.

Pride.

Looking to your left, Setanta stopped just after you did. “What is it?”

You remained quiet, too busy focused on a blue-haired boy muttering to himself as he marched down an alley. Something about him was peculiar, though it wasn’t the strange aura of anger that surrounded him. You couldn’t tear your eyes away for some reason, but you gasped in surprise when your servant held your shoulder. “Sorry, it’s nothing.” You told him honestly, trying to keep your mood pleasant before you were cooped up in your room once again.

His red eyes pondered over the high school boy once more before snickering. “That kid must’ve been rejected. Come on, let’s keep going.”

You wouldn’t waste your time on a stranger, so you gave him a nod before moving on. That wasn’t magic you sensed, was it? He didn’t seem fit for a master, though maybe Itsuki wouldn’t be that far off personality-wise. “Do you think it’s possible that the other masters are also in high school?”

Setanta thought about it before shrugging. “After seeing Saber’s master, I guess it wouldn’t be a surprise. Serving under a master so young must be exhausting if not just annoying.”

“Heroes weren’t meant to be babysitters…but maybe it’s an advantage?” You considered it, the idea of being safe during school hours giving you another moment of peace.

He sighed, though he wouldn’t complain. “Free time is never a disadvantage, little lady. It might not be so bad going against a bunch of brats.” 

“Heh, these ‘brats’ probably trained for this…let’s not pretend that they’re so easy.” You said, plopping down on a bench. Setanta followed suit, sitting down beside you as the birds chirped in the trees above. 

“Do you think we’ll run out of things to do here? For a city, it doesn’t seem the same as yours.” He almost seemed unimpressed at the thought, reminding you of home once again, a place you could be free without worry. American culture also had a large play in factor, where you could easily make friends.

“We just have to make our own fun until we go home.” You could see him grin at that, the lack of doubt bringing his cockiness forward. You believed in him and never wavered, and it fueled him in many ways. “The air is still.” You suddenly spoke up, looking down the road for a person, or even a neighborhood cat.

The silence was uncomfortable when cool metal touched your hand. Gripping your thin sword, you took a deep breath to keep yourself relaxed as you watched Setanta stand up, completely adorned in blue armor within seconds. His hair was also pulled back into a ponytail, remaining out of his face as he seemed to almost wait for something.

You remained quiet as to not distract him if he was tracking what was nearby. You felt your heart begin to boil with pride, causing you to stand with your sword tight in hand. You could easily recognize who it was that emanated that pride and cockiness, though it still came as a surprise to see a high school boy in his uniform approach before stopping at least ten feet away. 

Beneath his curly blue bangs laid an almost wicked grin, though just after that moment, it changed into a much cooler smile as if to hide his foul thoughts. “Hmm, guess you were right. This will be an easy match for me.” He spoke, looking toward you and your blade, which you gripped tightly onto.

Before you could process what was approaching, you felt yourself be pushed forward by Setanta, hearing the metallic clash of heroic weapons. You turned and backed away from the fight to see long purple hair and chains going after the man in blue.  
That woman was another heroic spirit.

Remembering the boy behind you, you quickly prepared a battle-ready stance toward him. His face held an unimpressed expression, making you wonder how skilled he was. What if he used the same tactic as you in hiding your mana? “You’re not a medieval servant, so put that thing away. You barely look like you know how to use it.”

You did not waver, continuing to study him with the protection of your blade before you. His blue eyes were cocky, but there was something else there, maybe some sort of bluff. Your eyes lingered down to his right hand before taking a deep breath. “And you’re not a master, yet you’re alone and defenseless.”

You could see the cool exterior melt away into a childish fear, his bluff called out to a halt. You wondered if he was stupid enough to not realize his situation from the start. His pose changed every second as he tried to plan what he could do. “T-that’s not true. I am a master, and a prodigy!”

“Then fight me.” You said, taking a step closer.

He screamed as he fell onto his bottom, rambling on about why you shouldn’t hurt him. Truly a sight for someone who hated mages such as yourself. As you approached him, you studied his face and uniform; the same school as two other masters, you knew for sure.

“Where is the real master?” You asked as you pointed your sword at his neck, looking down on him, similar to how you had seen in numerous films you loved. It was one huge act to you, but with purpose. That servant would have possibly killed you if Setanta were not there to protect you.

He shook with fear, almost to the point you thought he would faint. Incoherent mumbles escaped this boy as he sat defenseless with a weapon to his throat. It certainly was not an act that he was this way, but his ego was crushed flat before him, leaving him to grovel as any defenseless person would.

“Pathetic.” You said quietly, the act slowly going to your mind as if in a drunken state. It was almost as if the ego that had fled his heart found solace in your own, fueling you with negativity and perhaps even violence. “Where is the true master?” You spoke once again, lifting your blade to his cheek. A thin red line formed about two inches before the blade once again was just in front of his throat.

He screamed as if you were killing him, a noise annoying enough to make you subconsciously lunge forward to end it. Your body seemed to move on its own, fueled by the violent ego that seeped into your fragile heart. 

The incoming intensity of magic on your left made you swing your arm to protect yourself from the weapons of the purple-haired servant woman. Your reflexes fastened, her movements slowed down just enough to at least avoid her attacks. Her strength continued to push you back, though your blade still managed to bring itself in front of her attacks until she finally pushed you completely back with a thrust from her weapon. 

The woman remained calm as she took you down, the air leaving your lungs as you fell to the ground harshly. You thought she would try to land a decent blow on you, though you saw her rush to pick up a whining Shinji before escaping at an amazing speed.

You sat up quickly and looked to where they ran off, though nothing could be seen. From behind, you could hear someone rushing toward closer, which you saw your lancer in his blue uniform again. He pulled you up into a standing position and looked you over for injuries. “Setanta-“

“Did she do this?” He asked, pointing at your outer thigh. A rather long cut sat there, a few drops of blood fell from the wound. “I led her away, but she beat me back here. She has to be Rider class to have that agility.”

In truth, you barely felt it, though looking at it alone made the feeling of pain aware in your mind. Looking back up to him, you sighed. “That boy isn’t really the master. She returned to rescue him and then took off.”

“His screams could be heard for miles; but why would she be with a stupid kid?” He asked himself as his outfit changed back to casual. “Wait, rescue? What did you do to the brat?” 

Thinking back on it, you stared at the small amount of blood on the blade in your hands. “I almost killed him.”

He looked at you, curious about how you felt about it. It was hard to tell, as your condition made you do and say things that later would be taken into thought. “Did you want to?”

“In the end…this is a war. He would have killed me if he wasn’t as pathetic as I had seen.” The idea of murder didn’t sit perfectly with you, but this was not a perfect world. Next time, you would probably have to end his life before he commanded your death.  
His arm went around your shoulders as he made the sword in your hands disappear. As he started walking, he led you in his arms, making you walk alongside him. “I’m glad you realized, I didn’t want to explain that. You really almost did it, though? How did it feel?”

You could easily call this conversation ‘inappropriate’ at the moment, but maybe talking it out would help. “Let’s speak over shitty wine in our room.” A bright smile on his face warmed your heart, contagiously bringing out your own smile as you walked with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As of Thursday, I am in quarantine (we're definitely fine), but I'm able to telework from home, which is nice. Since then, I have actually started to add a little more and edit one of the epilogues I have made for this story, so it's kind of nice. I'm excited to have a little something extra, since I'm very attached to this story. Once again, thank you for reading.


	16. 'Eyes on Fire' - Blue Foundation

Fire rose in every direction, leaving no space unlit. The night sky was foggy and orange due to the flames eating away at the stars you found beautiful. The air that once reminded you of spring and flowers now barely contained oxygen, a bitter smell worse than burned rubber now present in its place.

How long had you been on the ground, laying in a bed of hot mud and leaves? When did you stop feeling the pain in your multiple cuts, bruises, and bones? 

When did you become alone?

What would happen if you closed your eyes and waited for the flames to engulf you?

Would it be unbearable, or would you not feel that either?

Where was he?

What was his name? What did he look like?

A royal blue popped into your mind. Red eyes you couldn’t place gave you a sort of comfort, though it was a surprise for warm tears to fall down the sides of your face. Such emotion for someone you couldn’t remember. 

Your throat burned as your body commanded you to sob, but the exhaustion you felt overpowered the cry. A plea in your mind strongly echoed louder than the roaring of flames, a plea for that person to save you from this hell. You begged to see this person once again, making you wonder if they were dead or if they managed to escape. 

A beast approached, the being that managed to create this hell. Maybe it has come back to finish the job, put you out of your misery. Even in your current state, you could sense the amount of mana that possessed the beast, full of violence and bloodthirst. Unable to move, your eyes met with the tall being.

He was a beastly man. He was tall, especially from your perspective on the ground, even his long dragon-like tail was bigger than you. His bright red spear was adorned with both dry and wet blood, something that could go straight through you with little effort from the well-built half-man. His tattoos lined his torso and face in a deadly beauty, his eyes hidden under the shadow of his hood, no light of life or even the fire reflecting in his eyes.

Though he did not grin as you imagined a beast would, he crouched down with a rather blank expression. His monstrous fingers reached down and took some of your filthy hair almost harshly, though upon seeing his tug had dragged you a couple of centimeters to the side, he released your hair. It was almost as if he didn’t know his own strength. Your expression did not waver from its exhausted features, even though his tug hurt. 

The same clawed and bloody hand cupped your cheek, one of his sharp talons making your cheek bleed as you and he only stared at each other. Its touch filled you with such hate and malice, though his actions seemed to make him release you when he saw he had harmed you in some way.

He reminded you of a wild dog.

In your mind, you tried to find the name of the one you needed most. A vibrant blue that shone brighter than the cleanest ocean, then red eyes that gave you comfort. “Se…tan….ta.” You gasped out, coughing as soon as you did, the smoke lacking in oxygen. 

This made the man-beast look down at you once again, taking off his hood to reveal his face. This was Cu Chulainn, the Child of Light. Yet this was not the same one in your memories.

Sudden pain spread through your body as you remembered him completely, a scream erupting from you as you thought you would implode from the pain. His face became a blur as your tears filled your eyes, the pain finally setting in. 

You were suddenly in the air, unable to sit still as you screamed in his arms. The servant you once knew was changed into this beast, carried you through fire and despair. You were going to die.

“You will not die before me.”

His voice was the same, though it lacked emotion. Your screaming stopped as your voice exhausted itself, the tears coming to a halt as there were none more. “I…I did this, didn’t I?”

“Yes. You lost control, little Master.” You couldn’t remember the details, but you were well aware of this. You remembered the blue ripped apart into black and red. 

“I…don’t have the strength…Setanta. This is unbearable!” You cried out, looking to his face. Only thoughts of pain and sadness and hatred kept you alive for the misery you were in. “J-just let me die!”

The words made him stop moving and look at you. “Do you wish that, little Master girl?”

“I-I….”

With an expressionless gaze, he slowly laid you onto the ground, looking you over one more time. “Even if flowers here are now destroyed…I know you would have liked this spot.” He said before standing up straight, spear in hand.

“Goodbye…Child of Light.” You whispered, unable to stop looking to his face as Gae Bolg pointed toward your heart. If anyone were to put you down, you’d much rather it be the one you loved most.

“I will not be far behind, (Y/n).”

Your eyes opened in panic as you sat up, looking around the room. A touch on your face made you yell out, though you relaxed a little as you saw Setanta tiredly sit up. “You’re crying…nightmare?”

Shaking, you stood up and went to the bathroom, throwing cold water onto your face as you tried to forget what you just witnessed in your dream. Once you came back under the covers, your familiar lancer cupped your cheek in his hand. “It’s okay, I’m here.” He promised you with those bright red eyes. Those were the ones of your Cu Chulainn; not the monster you created.

Your hands did not stop shaking as they held onto his t-shirt. You rested your cheek on his chest as he laid back down, your own body following his. He put his arm around you, using his free hand to pet your hair in comfort.

Neither of you slept the rest of the night, only laid in silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going over this next chapter and honestly...it's so short that I'm just going to upload it now and then move onto the next part of the story afterward. I really wanted to add Cu Alter, so this was an interesting way I could incorporate him...I love him so much. I simp really hard for him. I also am updating the OP2 selection for this story because I realized my love for another great song ewe. (If anyone even looks at it idk)  
> 'OVERDRIVE' - ASCA


	17. 'Gilgamesh' - Sufjan Stevens

Cu Chulainn was worried about you. You were clearly exhausted, you barely ate, and you didn’t speak. Your emotions were suppressed with mana, keeping him in the dark on what happened. He did not mind that you wanted to stay in yesterday, but he didn’t think you could be scared so terribly that it would keep you in for a second day.

“You have to eat this.” He said, holding a take-out bag you didn’t even realize he left for. Your eyes gazed it over, too tired to translate the Japanese on the bag.

You simply shook your head as you sat in bed, watching a movie on the TV. This frustrated your servant, making him huff before standing in front of the set. You laid down, unfazed by the lack of screen time.

“Come on, you can’t do this out of nowhere. I thought you weren’t afraid of anything.” He said, setting the plate down before sitting in front of you. “I can’t help you if you’re silent, little lady.”

The pet name he used for you many times made you look up at him. You studied his face, clean of tattoos and a loss of smile. He was the Cu Chulainn you loved.

This was your Child of Light.

You grabbed his shirt, pulling him into a kiss. Once you released him, you pressed your forehead to his shoulder, reminding yourself again that it was a nightmare. It was doing no good to mope around, your mind needed to be fresh for the fight. “I’m sorry.”

“Hmm? You don’t have to apologize for fear. Or if you want some attention.” He chuckled, kissing your head. You wondered how you came to earn his affections even at this point. He seemed to just go with your flow; it made you wonder how he was able to keep up.

“I am….afraid of myself.” You admitted quietly. “Can we leave it at that? I don’t want to think about it anymore.” There was no room for intrusive thoughts.

Hearing him sigh, you relaxed as he agreed, though the guilt you felt rose from him being the one to be left in the dark due to your mood swings. You were aware that it was not fair, yet what else could you do? Letting it linger would make him more protective or less willing to let you go out. You just wanted normalcy back.

However, Setanta looked to the window quickly. “A servant has been killed.” He said, surprising you.

“I hope it was Berserker.” You told him quietly, remembering the creature you did not see.

“Honestly, he was the only one I worried about.” His admission didn’t surprise you, but you almost couldn’t imagine a warrior such as him worrying over a win. “That thing is a monster.”

“I want to help you again if I can.” You said, looking toward your flower-turned-blade in the corner.

Cu gave you a small smile. “You can after you sleep. I’m going to go scouting, I’ll be back, alright?” He asked, pushing the plate onto your lap. “I want this to be gone by the time I return.”

Nodding, you looked from the plate to him. “Okay. Don’t stay out too late.” 

His blue uniform returned as he stood up. “Of course, I can’t keep a dazzling little lady by herself during the late hours.” He laughed before dematerializing, a sight you still weren’t used to, though it meant he was safe from the other servants.

Two hours passed with no word from him. You had no doubts he was fine, but usually when you called for him, he answered. Looking at your blade again, you quickly dressed yourself and grabbed it, attaching it to the belt over your skirt.

Opening the window, you stuck your head outside, trying to find any sort of magical interference. Could you even get anywhere fast enough? You didn’t have a car…or even a bike. Running to the closet, you grabbed the broom, running your hands over it, pushing what little mana you could into it.

You stood on the bed with a deep breath, thinking you would be okay with a one floor drop. It was a decent risk, but you jumped with hope in mind that it would work better than the first time you tried it years ago. 

The broom started immediately, no filter on speed. Almost hitting the top of the window, you leaned your whole body down on the broom with fear, the speed a little strong for you. Pressing mana into your system again, the fear began to drift as you slowly sat up, going up a little higher to see the battles through the city, looking for your lancer.

If you weren’t busy focusing on your search, you would have loved the view. However, bright clashes brought you toward another side of town, near a large shrine. Deciding it was not a good idea to get too close when you didn’t know the situation, you lowered your broom downward toward the base of the hill.

Managing to slow down and get closer to the ground, you flinched at the rock that hit your arm, quickly looking down at the blue-haired boy from before. He growled at you, another rock in hand. “You think you can mock magecraft by stealing cheap tricks from Hollywood?”

You frowned at this, not understanding his actions. Wouldn’t he want to hide? He had almost lost his life before, did he become braver or more idiotic? “The idea came from somewhere, hadn’t it?” You said, remaining in the air in case his servant were to return again. 

He threw another rock, though it missed terribly, frustrating him even more. “Someone like you doesn’t belong in this war.” You remained unaffected by his words, finding no threat in someone so foolish. Though you could admit his constant anger was indeed true, the feeling strongly resonating in the air around him.

“Do you want me to kill you? A disgusting mage would not hesitate to do so.” You spoke before you could think, your fingers ghosting over your sword as you stared at the blue-haired brat. “You’re my enemy, remember?”

The fear in his eyes didn’t shine like they did previously. Perhaps he believed you were bluffing, the dark of night concealing the weapon on your side. Pulling out your gentle blade, your free hand held on tightly to the broomstick as you glided through the air toward the cocky boy, prepared to slice him open.

His grin faltered for a moment before someone stood before him. The front of your broom was grabbed by a human hand, your face barely a foot away from golden hair and intense red eyes. Unable to look away from his eyes, you weren’t sure what to think. You could sense death, though it was not your own. It felt familiar in some way, a connection that could not be drawn. Many thoughts flew around in your mind, and something about this young man made you think. 

He was definitely a servant. An arrogant one, at that.

The casual servant held a low grin as he looked back at you, a look reading ‘all knowing.’ He was the cat and you were the mouse caught by the tail, no way of escape on your own. You called for Setanta in your mind, something you hoped this blonde man could not hear. His pride overcame your senses, petrifying any emotional intake from him. 

You only felt your own fear in that moment.

His gaze remained on you as the boy spoke beside him, looking as though he could cry right there. “You should have showed up faster! I almost died!” 

“I still came, didn’t I? Mongrel.” You could tell by the way he looked at you that the name was also meant for you. His voice gave you goosebumps, a sign of discomfort or fear. This man who did not take his eyes from you continued to hold your transportation before him, leaving you with no emergency exit. Pride filled his very eyes, darkness beyond those red irises, most certainly some type of warrior or king in his time. Something about gold hit you as well, though you had no idea what that had meant.

After standing up straight, the boy crossed his arms with his returning grin. “As you can see, I’ve upgraded to the strongest servant, so you may want to go ahead and call it off before we kill you and your servant.”

“Now Shinji, let’s play with her for a bit first. After all, she was late to the party.” The man with golden hair spoke, swinging you and your broom off into the sky, at least three blocks away from where they stood, with abnormal strength carrying you into the wind. You could hear the boy begin to complain before the broom flipped, leaving you hanging with both hands on the broom. The metal clank of your sword hitting the ground made you more anxious as you feared the fall. 

It was no use, your broom wouldn’t move in the sky, and you certainly didn’t have the strength to pull yourself up onto your escape route. Once again, you called Cu Chulainn in your head, unable to hear if you received an internal response from him due to your fear and the cocky pride coming from the new servant. He was a wave of mana, able to drown you in despair if he wanted to.

Golden lights appeared around him, spears, swords, and arrows coming out of them similar to darts, while you were easily labeled the board. Either let him hit you and kill you, or drop to the ground and die there. Your options were bleak, though as much as you moved, the broom wouldn’t move, the brakes keeping it still in the air.

As you watched the weapons were released, unable to tear your eyes away from the incoming pain, you were suddenly in a pair of arms, pulling you away aside at an incredible speed. Once you were able to process you were alive, you looked up to see the face you were looking for. “Setanta!”

“What the hell were you doing?” He demanded as he continued to jump roof to roof until he could run on the ground far from Shinji and the new servant. “You shouldn’t be out here, especially by yourself.”

You shrank back as much as you could in his arms, playing with the edge of your skirt. “You didn’t answer me, so I went to look for you.” You admitted honestly, ready to be scolded for your foolishness.

Stopping in an alley, he set you down. As you were wobbly from not being on the ground for a good bit, you leaned your back against the wall, prepared for whatever he had to say. “A second longer and that would have been it.” He said, the frown on his face filling you with guilt. “What if I didn’t sense you there? What if another servant stopped me, and I wasn’t there when I was? You can barely use magic and you have little chance against a servant.”

“I know.” You said quietly, looking down. “But what if you needed help? Even small as a distraction can go a long way.” Your voice quieted the longer you spoke, trying not to make this worse.

He sighed, placing a hand on the wall beside you and leaning forward. “You won’t be able to help at all if you’re dead.”

“You train me, yet I can’t do anything!” You suddenly spoke, surprising him. “Why would you teach me anything if you think I’m useless? I almost killed that boy before, I held my ground against his servant, and I almost managed to do it again. We can’t win the Holy Grail if we don’t work together. I don’t want to be locked away anymore…I thought we were partners.”

He was calm and quiet as you ranted, tears falling from your eyes. Setanta’s red eyes looked you over before bringing his hand to touch your cheek. “I’m pretty sure I said something similar to my own teacher before...you’re right, I shouldn’t have treated you that way. Just…stay near me at least. I don’t want to be too late, not for you.”

Wiping your tears, you stepped forward to hug him tightly. “I can promise that.”

“Good.” Setanta whispered, petting your hair as you held onto him, praying to any higher being that this could possibly work.

Your hand was sticky, forcing you to pull back from him to see what it was. Your hand shook before tugging him so you could see the visible wound he had. The guilt only seemed to eat at you more as he took your hand and walked you back to the hotel. You looked toward your hand that he held, and you knew he held it so you wouldn’t stare at his blood on your hand.

The large gash across his back.

That had been your fault.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it's the first action chapter...I'm not great at these, as I believe action is best through visuals versus writing, but I'm still content with how it is. This is sort of the beginning of the end in a way, and I'm excited to provide actual magecraft and things for the MC to do. I'm actually happy to announce I found a place for a new filler sort of chapter toward the end, and I may be extending the second epilogue to a two or three parter. I didn't want to necessarily, but too many ideas I want to put out, especially since it's more of a special epilogue?  
> But on another note, the song I used for this chapter came out a few months ago, and I love it and the rest of the album. There was also another song called 'Ascension' on the album that gave me major Fate vibes? I really love Fate (despite the event in FGO NA right now)...and I'm excited to continue updating.
> 
> (Also I started the Yakuza game series and I'm in love,,,,and watching Osomatsu-san season 3,,,)
> 
> Thank you!


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